Freedom
by The World Is Alive
Summary: Mira and Beck have escaped from the Grid. But they find themselves caught in the crossfires when Cyrus throws the world into chaos. SHIELD steps in to try and stop the threat, but even they will need help against this new and unusual threat. Sequel to Rogue and Different. Rated T for safety.
1. The Real World

**AN: So here's the first chapter of Freedom. And yes, this is a crossover with Avengers :) I've been planning this one for months, just like Rogue. And to make things more interesting, I'm giving the chapters actual titles! Never thought I'd be doing that, but it just seemed like a good idea. Enjoy, and please read and review!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**The Real World**

For a while, darkness surrounded them. A cold, blustery wind swept past them. Noises could be made out around them. And as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Mira could see that they were in a small room.

She didn't even notice that Beck had finally stumbled to his feet. Rinzler jumped off of her shoulder and sat beside her, unsure of what to do next.

"Where are we?" Beck's voice was shaky. Mira had a feeling they were both in for a shock when they found out where they were.

"I would assume that this is Flynn's arcade," she replied.

They were standing in an office of some sort. Behind them was a computer desk. Mira's eyes narrowed when she saw what appeared to be a weapon of some sort. Just beside the strange weapon were stairs that she guessed led to the room filled with games.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," she murmured.

Beck eyed her warily before following. She knew what it was like, to be in such a strange world. When she first followed Flynn she had been terrified.

_I can't freak out now_, she told herself. _We'll both get through this_,_ one way or another_.

Rinzler bounded after them as they walked up the stairs. It felt like cycles had passed before they finally reached the second floor. And when they did, Mira had to stop herself from gaping in shock. Beck stood beside her, arms folded as he tried to take in everything at once.

All of the games that she had once been familiar with were covered. It looked as though the place hadn't been cleaned in cycles. Mira could remember what dust looked like. The Grid was always void of any allergies or germs that might create sickness.

"Wait, someone's coming." Mira stiffened when Beck grabbed her by the arm by sheer instinct. The fur along Rinzler's neck began to stand on end when the door nearby swung open.

An elderly looking User with short, silvery white hair stepped into the room. His eyes widened in shock when he noticed that the room wasn't empty. But it wasn't the strange way he looked that caught Mira's attention. It was his casually dressed outfit that made her shift uncomfortably from boot to boot.

"I guess that stranger was right," the User finally scoffed after recovering from the shock.

"Who are you?" Mira demanded. She didn't want Beck or Rinzler to attack unless they knew this User wasn't a threat. Users reacted differently from programs. That much she remembered.

"Alan Bradley." Alan's smile told Mira that he wasn't a threat. Besides, he didn't look like he could actually harm them if he wanted to. "Well now that I've told you my name, what do I call you?"

Mira exchanged a wary look with Beck. He simply shrugged in response, unsure of what to say.

"My name is Mira, and this is Beck," she explained. "We're not exactly from around here."

Alan smirked at the response. "I can see that. The suits are a bit of a giveaway."

"Why are you here?" Beck finally found the courage to speak up. Alan raised an eyebrow at that. Mira stiffened when she noticed something oddly familiar about his behavior. Something that reminded her a bit too much of someone they had left behind on the Grid.

"Well, I check up on the place every couple of months," he explained. "My last check up resulted in finding someone standing in the very spot you're standing in. Guy said he stumbled through a Portal and ended up here. Thought he was half crazy."

Horror surged through Mira when she thought of the way Cyrus had suddenly vanished during their fight. She glanced at Beck, who by now looked just as startled and worried.

"Do you know where he might have gone?" Mira tried to keep a straight face when Alan frowned at their expressions.

"No," he admitted. "You might find some information though by asking around."

"Thank you," Mira said. It wasn't much of a lead, but if Cyrus was on the loose, than he needed to be stopped.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Alan's question caught Mira off guard.

She bit the bottom of her lip as she thought of an answer. Truthfully she didn't know where to go next. Normally Tron would have given her an idea. But she couldn't rely on his help forever. Especially now that she was in the User world.

"Honestly, no," she sighed. Beck watched Alane through narrowed eyes as he pulled out a card from his coat.

"Call these people," he suggested. "They might know where to look for your friend."

He tossed the card over, and Mira caught it with ease. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed the symbol etched on it.

Eagle with a scroll. Somehow the symbol seemed oddly familiar.

She glanced at Beck once more as Rinzler jumped onto her shoulder. Something told her that this was only the beginning of a long journey. And with Cyrus on the loose, anything was possible.

. . .

"Sir, the energy level spiked up again." Agents were moving from computer to computer as another anomaly showed up. Something like this had not happened since the Tesseract was removed from their hands. "It's coming from the same location."

"What exactly is the location?" Director Fury turned to look at Agent Hill. She was holding a tablet with the readings from a few days ago.

"It's at a place called Flynn's Arcade sir," she explained. "The energy level is dying now."

Director Fury pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. SHIELD had bigger threats to worry about than this. Just yesterday there was a report of some maniac trying to turn over every car in the same city Agent Hill had mentioned.

"I want you to investigate," he ordered.

"What about Agent Romanoff or Agent Barton? Aren't they more qualified for missions like this?" Agent Hill gave him a look of confusion.

"They have their own missions to worry about," he snapped.

Agent Hill simply nodded in response and turned off the tablet.

Once she was gone Director Fury held back a sigh of exhaustion. Just another long day at HQ. Nothing big going on. And everything would be just fine. He hoped.

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**AN: So yeah, we already got to meet Alan, and he'll be making more than one appearance throughout the story. So of course will SHIELD and all of the awesome agents I've come to know and love ;) Please let me know what you thought of this!**

**End of Line**


	2. Encom Tower

**Chapter Two**

**Encom Tower  
**

"Do you need a ride?" Mira looked at Alan in surprise when he asked the question.

_Our light cycles might not work here_, she thought after biting the bottom of her lip. She exchanged a glance with Beck, who simply shrugged in response. He didn't know where they were going.

"Yeah, we could use a ride," she admitted.

Alan grinned when Rinzler jumped off of her shoulder. Mira only just noticed that his circuits weren't glowing like they had on the Grid. Instead the red circuits that normally stretched across his fur mixed in with the black. Alan leaned down when Rinzler started approaching him cautiously.

"This is quite the unusual critter you have here," he laughed when Rinzler swatted at his finger.

"He's a friend of ours," Mira explained. Her eyes widened when she suddenly realized why Alan looked so familiar. She nearly face-palmed when she thought she should have noticed the similarities sooner. "You wouldn't happen to be Tron's Creator, would you?"

He raised an eyebrow at the question before nodding. "Best security system I ever designed," he replied. "Flynn asked me if he could move Tron over to his system for better protection."

_A lot of good that did him_. Mira almost wished she could say that. She knew better though. Alan was friendly, but she didn't know how long that friendliness would last.

She couldn't help but smirk when she saw Beck's eyes widen in disbelief. Clearly he never expected to meet Tron's Creator. It was ironic seeing Alan standing in front of them after everything Tron had said and done. It seemed like they were nothing alike.

"SHIELD hasn't stopped by Encom Tower yet, but it's only a matter of time before they do," Alan explained as he led the way outside.

"I'm sorry, SHIELD?" Beck looked at Alan questioningly as they approached the car.

"It stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. They take care of the things that the FBI normally can't." There was an edge to Alan's voice. Mira looked at him warily. He was hiding something that must have hit a nerve.

The car he'd led them to was similar to the roadster that Tesler had given away as a reward. Only it was bigger and a bit more compact. Mira sat beside Beck once Alan started the car. Rinzler sat on her lap once they were strapped in.

"Thanks again for being so... generous," Mira sighed as she leaned against the seat. If Alan was anything like Tron, than she knew she could trust him.

"It's not every day a couple of kids hide in the arcade like that," Alan replied. "Though I do have to ask, where did you come from?"

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you." Beck's answer was quick and to the point.

"After everything that's been happening, I doubt that," Alan said with a smirk. Beck frowned at his response and glanced at Mira questioningly. "Flynn told me about the Grid before he disappeared. But he never told me how he got in or out," he added.

"Well, that's kind of where we came from," Mira said warily. She wasn't entirely sure how much they should tell him. He seemed open to the idea of the Grid being a real place. But if he told other Users about the Grid, that might be a different story.

"So how did you manage to escape?" Alan looked at them through the mirror that was placed on the front window.

Again Beck looked at Mira questioningly. This was something she'd rather keep to themselves. The Portals were dangerous, and any innocent User could find themselves trapped.

"That information is classified," Mira replied.

She was thankful when Alan left it at that. He seemed well aware that they were keeping secrets. And maybe he was used to that idea, seeing as he had known about the Grid.

_Why would Flynn not tell him how to get in or out of the Grid_? she wondered. Maybe Flynn was too afraid that something would go wrong. And of course, he had been right about his assumptions. But that left Mira wondering why he had not given himself the ability to open Portals.

"All right, we're here." Mira looked up in awe to see a large building tower over them. She didn't miss the words 'Encom' illuminated above them. "Encom Tower. There's a phone inside that you can use."

Mira felt her shoulders sag with exhaustion when she realized that they still needed to make the call. If they could find a computer powerful enough to shut down the Portals that were opening, that would help. But the Portals weren't the only problem they faded.

"Hi Alan, the board meeting isn't starting for another hour." A short woman with long dark brown hair sat at a desk once they stepped inside. Her eyes widened when she noticed Mira and Beck standing behind him. Rinzler was once again atop Mira's shoulder, watching the small woman curiously.

"I know. We just needed to make a call." The woman raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You couldn't just use your cell phone?" she asked in a joking manner. Alan folded his arms when the woman's face fell. "My apologies sir," she added after standing up. She looked at both Mira and Beck warily before stepping out of the room.

Mira had a feeling she had a few questions to ask about their sudden appearance. But thankfully the woman left them alone, giving them enough time for Alan to make the call.

"What's a cell phone?" Beck's question made Alan look at him in surprise. Than he seemed to remember that they weren't exactly familiar with User technology.

"I'll explain everything later," he replied. He picked up the phone and typed in the numbers that had been on the card he showed them. Cycles seemed to pass before whoever he'd called answered. "Yeah, I know it's late." His voice dropped to a whisper.

Mira folded her arms when she realized that there was more to this call than Alan had previously let on. She was surprised that Beck hadn't said anything since Alan started talking. When she finally glanced at him she noticed that he was still trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

"I know it sounds crazy, but you've seen worse." Alan finally sighed in annoyance as the User he spoke to shouted back. "Who are you sending?" Alan's question made Mira look at him warily. Clearly something wasn't going right.

"How do we know we can trust this guy?" Beck's voice dropped to a whisper so that only she could hear.

"There isn't anyone else we can trust," she admitted. "Besides, he's Tron's Creator."

Beck stiffened at the mention of Tron. After everything that had happened, she could understand why he was so upset. Tron had been repurposed by Clu, and ultimately betrayed them. Thanks to Clu they were both forced to live in exile.

After what felt like another long wave of cycles, Alan finally said goodbye and put the phone down. He looked more wary than ever as he turned to face them.

"Someone will be stopping by to meet with you," he explained. "Her name is Maria Hill."

"How will we know what she looks like?" Mira demanded.

"Trust me, you'll know," Alan replied with the slightest of smirks. "I have to go; there's a meeting that I can't afford to miss," he added after looking at something on his wrist. It took Mira a few nanocycles to realize that it was a watch. "Maria will explain everything to you when she gets here."

"Thank you, for your help," Mira sighed. "We'd probably be lost if you hadn't showed up."

"Glad I could help." Alan rubbed Rinzler's ear before heading for what looked like an elevator.

For the first time since returning to the User world, Mira realized just how lost she really was. She almost wished that she had more knowledge of the User world. But everything had slowly faded away when she spent her life on the Grid.

"We'll get through this," she murmured as they found themselves looking outside the building. By now the city lights were beginning to turn off.

"I sure hope so," Beck sighed. "I've never felt more helpless than I do now."

For once, Mira couldn't help but agree. Even though they had trained together and fought together, here they were completely helpless. And maybe even useless. As far as she was concerned the User world was much different from the Grid.

"We'll get through this as a team," she said reassuringly. If anyone could get through this, it was the renegade.

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**AN: Ah yes, something tells me that Mira and Beck are going to have a difficult time adjusting to the modern world. Especially with SHIELD involved :P Special thanks to 2theSky, Briannajs-22 and PrincessKai137 for reviewing! You guys are amazing :D**

**End of Line**


	3. Information Overload

**Chapter Three**

**Information Overload  
**

What Alan Bradley had said made no sense. SHIELD had interrogated him a few years ago back when Kevin Flynn went missing. According to him Flynn didn't go missing. He was watching their every move, waiting for the right moment to reveal the secrets he'd been hiding for so long. And of course, that only put Encom's company under SHIELD's radar.

Now Agent Hill was on her way to meet an unusual pair of strangers. From the way he described them, they sounded like extra terrestrials. She only hoped that they weren't. Otherwise SHIELD wasn't the only organization that would be interested in their sudden arrival.

She parked as close to the Encom Tower as she could. It was late, close to midnight. Most people would still be fast asleep. But Encom was releasing it's latest software. And of course in order for the release date to go well, they held a board meeting around the same time.

"Hi, welcome to Encom, are you here for the board meeting?" The receptionist looked at Agent Hill in surprise after she walked inside.

"I was told to meet someone here," she replied. Act casually and try not to give anything away. Any normal citizen would think that she was here for a meeting. She'd rather keep it that way instead of causing panic throughout the massive building.

"Very well, if you would please sign in-" Agent Hill cut her off with a wave of her hand.

The two people she had to meet were already standing in the room. She was impressed when they both turned almost at once. They already seemed to act like a team, similar to Romanoff and Barton. But that wasn't what caught Agent Hill's sharp eye.

Their suits were completely different from any outfit she had ever seen. They looked like a normal jumper suit, only streaks of white and blue stretched around their arms, legs and bodies. The girl was small compared to her companion, about five feet tall at most. And what really sent shivers down Agent Hill's arms were the scars etched along the girl's face and arms.

"Bradley told me that you'd be here," she said after approaching them. The guy folded his arms and looked like he was ready to defend himself. Where ever they came from, it must not have been an easy place. "Let me guess, Mira and Beck?" The girl raised an eyebrow in response, while her partner simply remained still as a statue.

"Yeah," Mira replied with the slightest smirks. "And you must be Maria Hill."

Agent Hill looked at the girl in surprise. Than she realized that Alan must have told them who she was.

"Yes." An awkward silence filled the room. Agent Hill could hear the receptionist typing away at her computer throughout the staring contest. Finally she couldn't stand the silence and tried to relax a bit more. "Why don't you tell me where you came from?" She caught something out of the corner of her eye.

Instinct kicked in and she grabbed her gun, only to find a kitten staring at her from behind Beck's feet. Both Mira and Beck had stiffened at the sight of her weapon. The woman at the desk let out a startled gasp when she finally took notice.

_So much for keeping a low profile_, Agent Hill thought angrily. She fired the stun gun at the screaming receptionist, who suddenly fell silent. The kitten that she had seen earlier jumped onto Mira's shoulder, looking rather frightened after what just happened.

"This isn't exactly the best place to explain that," Mira finally replied. Her eyes were narrowed, and Agent Hill thought she saw the girl's jaw clench with anger.

Agent Hill placed the stun gun back in it's lock. They were definitely not aliens. By now they would've likely attacked if they could. But just to play it safe, they would still need to be watched. Very carefully.

"All right then," Agent Hill folded her arms as she thought this through. "I guess I'll have to take you to HQ then."

Both Mira and Beck looked wary at that. From what Agent Hill gathered, they came from a very dangerous place. She couldn't wait to find out exactly what that place was.

"We'll go, but only if you let us use your computer system there." Agent Hill raised an eyebrow when Beck spoke for the first time. She didn't miss how muscular he was. Or the fact that he had watched her every move.

"You'll have to explain why when we get there," she replied.

And she had a feeling their story would be an interesting one at best.

. . .

Mira frowned when they reached the building that Maria Hill had mentioned. It wasn't a large building, but it was a few stories at best. But it wasn't the building itself that had given her a chance to worry.

It was everything Maria was telling them that made her worry. She had missed so much growing up on the Grid. And from what she gathered there was more that she had yet to learn. Apparently a group of superheroes known as the Avengers had made themselves known throughout the User world.

At once Mira was reminded of how much effort Tron had put in to defend the Grid. Even he could not fight against Clu's repurposing. She supposed that no one was really perfect. And that was what she found more ironic than anything else.

"Here we are." Maria got out of the car and opened the door for them.

Beck gaped at the sight when they reached the entrance. Mira had to admit that the entrance was impress. She couldn't even see what was on the inside. The windows were all black. But she had a feeling that the Users inside could easily see what was going on outside.

"Is this the main building?" Mira asked when Maria let them inside. Users were wandering about in what looked like black suits. A few looked at the new arrivals in surprise. Maria had explained that SHIELD had several buildings throughout the United States. And this was just one of them.

"No, this is the smallest sector we have," Maria explained. "There are three floors total, and each of them have a different department."

Mira's mind began to spin with confusion. Even the Grid wasn't this complex. Sure Clu had his hierarchy, but they were easy to recognize. It didn't help that this was all so new to them.

"Why do you need all of this space?" Beck asked warily.

"Let's save the questions for later, shall we?" Mira jumped when someone approached them.

"Director Fury, these are the two... unusual strangers I told you about earlier," Maria explained. Rinzler pressed himself against Mira's shoulders when he noticed how menacing the newcomer was. She wasn't intimidated by his appearance though.

In truth this 'Director Fury' User reminded Mira of Cutler. Only to any stranger he might appear more menacing.

"They don't look like much." Director Fury raised an eyebrow when Beck folded his arms in annoyance. Mira would have laughed at his expression if it wasn't for the situation. Beck wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Maria whispered something that only Director Fury could hear. After a few nanocycles Director Fury sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I see your point," he muttered under his breath. "Come with me, we need to talk," he added to Mira and Beck.

She exchanged another anxious look with Beck. So far they had trusted these Users and found nothing useful. Maybe Beck had a point in asking whether or not these Users could be trusted. Mira had a feeling that if they tried running, these Users would hunt them down just like Clu's soldiers had.

_Either way we'd be stuck_, she thought bitterly. _If we run we'll be fugitives again_.

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**AN: I know the title seems a bit strange, but I liked it. And it took me long enough to get this posted XD But I had to think carefully as to where this chapter should be ended. Thanks to CMR Rosa, 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are amazing people :D**

**End of Line**


	4. An Explanation

**AN: I was totally watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen while typing this XD Sorry if there are any references to that movie. Love the Transformers series :D Thanks to QuilSniv, 2theSky, PrincessKai317 and Briannajs-22 for reviewing!**

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**Chapter Four**

**An Explanation**

They were led to a small room deep within the building. Unease crawled down Mira's skin as Rinzler jumped down beside her. A clear round table was placed in front of four seats. Mira barely noticed that the walls themselves were padded in what looked like cloth.

"Now, why don't you two explain where you've come from," Director Fury suggested after closing the door behind him. Beck watched him suspiciously as he pulled out what looked like a tablet. Maria had explained what they were used for before they arrived at SHIELD's HQ.

"It's... kind of a long story," she explained warily. "And a bit hard to believe." She glanced at Beck, but he only frowned in response. They couldn't tell SHIELD everything about the Grid. Otherwise more and more Users might find themselves getting trapped. And that would lead to chaos.

"I think I can handle 'hard to believe' just fine," Director Fury replied.

Mira looked down at Rinzler thoughtfully as he began washing his whiskers. He seemed unafraid of their situation. She wished she could feel the same way.

"The place we came from isn't exactly easy to access," Beck retorted after struggling to find the right words. Director Fury raised an eyebrow and looked at Mira. She felt a shiver run down her neck. The whole eye patch thing was really beginning to unnerve her.

She took a deep breath before explaining as much as she could, without giving away too much information. Director Fury took everything in until she mentioned Clu. After a few nanocycles he had to sit down stare at them both in disbelief.

"And you're saying this Clu wants to rule the world?" he asked when she was finally finished.

"No, just the... place we came from," Mira quickly replied.

"Clu isn't the only threat that you've escaped from, is he?" Director Fury looked at Beck, whose eyes narrowed in response.

_Cyrus has already caused trouble here_, Mira realized.

"I suppose you could say that," Beck muttered with a shrug.

Mira jumped when an alarm sounded. The noise was deafening compared to the sirens she was used to on the Grid. Director Fury suddenly rose from his seat when the door behind him swung open.

"Sir, the threat is back!" A voice sounded over the intercom.

"I want all agents focused on the target," he ordered through what Mira guessed was a watch. She had seen Alan glancing at his every now and than before he dropped them off. "Don't let them out of your sight!"

Panic started to grip at Mira's heart when she realized how serious this was. Cyrus was already powerful enough on the Grid. He could modify recycled codes into weapons in his prison. If he could do that than she could only imagine what he was capable of in the User world.

"We have to stop this from getting worse." Beck sounded just as worried as Mira felt, if not more.

"Look, we can help," Mira added when Director Fury turned to face them. "We know the target's identity if that's of any use."

"I'm not sending a couple of untrained kids into the field," Director Fury snapped.

_We can handle ourselves just fine_! Mira was desperate to shout the words. But she kept her jaws clenched firmly shut as she locked gazes with Director Fury. Cycles seemed to pass before he finally let out a sigh of frustration.

"Alright, fine," he grumbled. "Follow me."

Mira glanced back at Rinzler, who was crouched under the table. His eyes were wide with fear, and she could understand why. This was new to him.

"Stay here," she murmured, hoping that he would somehow understand. Rinzler simply blinked at her as she turned to follow Director Fury and Beck.

After running through winding halls and passing several agents running in the opposite direction, they finally reached a room that seemed vaguely familiar to Mira. Computers were scattered throughout the room along with a large desk standing in the middle of it all. The biggest computer held an image of the target in question.

"Cyrus," Beck whispered. "Should have known he wouldn't stay in hiding for real long."

"I thought civilians weren't allowed here." Mira froze when a woman with long dark red hair approached them. She wore an outfit that was similar to a program's suit. Only it had an eagle with a shield symbol on her right arm.

"Agent Romanoff, I thought my orders were clear." Director Fury looked at the woman sternly as she remained strangely calm. "Beck, Mira, I'd like you to meet one of my top agents. Romanoff has worked for SHIELD for years, and she'll be keeping an eye on you."

"You mean babysitting us," Mira said under her breath. The last thing she wanted was another Tron watching over her the whole time.

"Sir?" Romanoff looked at Director Fury curiously as he paused the video that was playing.

Mira had a difficult time understanding why Cyrus was just standing in the middle of the street. The agents that were sent to capture him had Cyrus surrounded. He was wearing a cloak this time, similar to the one he had worn when Mira first saw him. The smirk on his face told Mira that he had a plan.

Everything that followed seemed to happen in slow motion. Explosions went off around Cyrus, sending clouds of smoke and flames towards the stunned agents. They didn't have time to react as he leaped after the first agent, quickly grabbing the gun they had pulled out. In a matter of nanocycles he had knocked out the agents that seemed more than capable of fighting back. Shivers ran down Mira's arms when he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"You want to explain to me who that guy is?" Everyone had stopped working after witnessing the scene. After getting a good look at Cyrus's face, Mira was pretty sure that they could guess he wasn't normal. Mira was surprised that the white circuits were still on his face, flowing in their usual menacing way.

"The guy's name is Cyrus," Mira replied. Director Fury looked at her in surprise when she held back a sigh of frustration. If they had been faster they might have been able to stop him. Now more innocent lives were taken thanks to Cyrus. "He's from where we came from."

"How do you know him?" Romanoff asked the question this time, and the few agents that were in the room quickly went back to work.

"He's... an old friend of ours." Mira didn't miss the anger in Beck's voice.

_We have to stop him_, she thought angrily. _Who knows what other problems he created_?

"When did this all begin?" Mira asked. She remembered Maria explaining how time worked in the User world. The system wasn't anything like the Grid's. It was difficult enough keeping track of how time worked on the Grid, let alone the User world.

"A few days ago," Romanoff replied. "We've been tracking down his attacks. They're not as random as they seem."

Mira exchanged another look with Beck. She knew he was thinking the same thing. Cyrus knew that they were here. He was trying to drawl them out of hiding.

"We'll help you capture him." Beck folded his arms when Romanoff and Director Fury looked at them in surprise.

"And exactly how do you expect to do this?" Director Fury demanded.

"He'll track us down," Mira explained. "He's a... creature of habit."

She bit the bottom of her lip as she thought of what to do next. Cyrus would find them once he knew they were free from the Grid. The real question was whether or not these Users would let them go.

Director Fury pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He obviously wasn't expecting them to jump right in a fight willingly.

"Very well," he muttered crossly. "We'll discuss plans tomorrow. For now, you both should get some rest. Natasha will lead you to your rooms."

Mira raised an eyebrow in surprise when Romanoff's shoulders sagged in what she guessed was annoyance. She didn't even notice how exhausted she was until Director Fury had mentioned something. Even Beck looked tired when they were led out of the room.

"Your rooms are right down this hall," Natasha told them when they reached another hallway.

She left them to choose which room they would sleep in.

"This just got a lot more serious than I realized," Mira whispered when they reached the doors.

"What if they find out about..." Beck cut himself off before he went any further. Mira understood how he felt. Even in the User world they were bound to secrecy.

"We need to keep them off it's trail," she said under her breath. If SHIELD was anything like Tron, they would be watching their every move. They would have to be careful for the next few cycles. "Will you be able to sleep?"

"After what I just saw, I doubt that's even possible," Beck replied. He ruffled the back of his hair in embarrassment. "I'm sure we'll be fine though."

She couldn't help but smirk at his false reassurance. "Sleep well," she murmured. Though she doubted in a place like this, sleep wasn't going to come so easily.

* * *

**AN: So yeah, not a very long chapter but it was a chapter. And of course you got to meet the infamous Black Widow. Just a forwarning, she has several alias due to her alliance with both SHIELD and the Avengers, so her name might change quite a few times throughout the story. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**

**End of Line**


	5. The Training Room

**AN: New chapter, yay! Super excited about this one as you can see. And it's my longest yet :P Hopefully they'll stay this way. Special thanks to PrincessKai317 and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are awesome!  
**

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**Chapter Five**

**The Training Room**

Mira was surprised she had slept at all. Rinzler was curled up beside her after she found him scratching at the door. The few agents that were still awake had avoided him completely, staring at him with mixtures of fear and suspicion. She tried to ignore them after letting Rinzler inside.

She woke up shortly after hearing an alarm sounding throughout the small room. Already her thoughts churned with anxiety as she remembered what had happened.

With a sigh she got out of the comfortable bed and ruffled the back of her messy hair. Throughout her life on the Grid she had never had to care about the way she looked. But after seeing the strange looks other Users gave her, she suddenly felt self-conscious about her appearance.

_I don't even know where to start_, she thought when she finally saw her reflection for the first time.

Like the SHIELD agents, she was lean and had well toned muscles from her fighting days on the Grid. But that wasn't what made her skin crawl with both fear and anger. The scars that she had received from long ago were suddenly more visible. All of the patchwork the medics had used suddenly disappeared. Her fists clenched when she realized that these scars were probably the reason everyone had given her strange looks.

Her suit really did look just like Natasha's suit now that she got a good look at it. The only difference was the gloves that ran along her arms. Halfway up they were cut, revealing bare skin. She blinked in surprise when she realized how different she looked now.

"Let's see what everyone else is up to," she sighed after pulling back her short hair as much as she could. She had kept it cut short thanks to her disk, but now she would have to find another way to do so. Rinzler barely noticed her as she quietly slipped out of the door. She didn't get very far without bumping into Natasha. Her eyes widened when Natasha suddenly wheeled around. The agent was about to strike her down when she realized how had bumped into her. "Sorry!" Mira flinched when her voice came out in a squeak.

"It's just a reflex," Natasha replied. Her cold expression didn't falter as she relaxed. "You're up earlier than I expected," she added when Mira shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"An alarm sounded in my room," Mira explained warily. "I'm used to getting up at random times of the... day." She still found it difficult adjusting from cycles to days.

Mira couldn't help but smirk when Beck finally emerged from his room. He didn't look nearly as exhausted as she was expecting. Natasha placed her hands on her hips when Beck joined them.

"Director Fury wants to see just how skills you are a defending yourselves," she explained. "We have a training room for new recruits."

"Since when have we become new recruits?" Beck demanded. He frowned when Natasha glared at him. Mira would have laughed at her expression if it wasn't for the situation. Beck was right to ask what Natasha meant by that.

"We'll explain everything later," Natasha replied. "Follow me."

Frustration swelled within Mira's chest as she followed the redhead. Natasha seemed determined to make them feel unwelcome. In a way she couldn't blame Natasha for her unease. They knew more about Cyrus than SHIELD did. If Natasha or Director Fury were anything like Tron, trust would be difficult to come by.

_Well two could play at that game_, Mira thought as she narrowed her eyes.

She found it difficult to trust anyone after everything that had happened. On the Grid it was follow the rules or be killed. Life seemed to work differently for Users.

Natasha soon led them up a flight of stairs, than turned towards the right. Mira raised an eyebrow when they reached what looked like a large room. The windows were clear, giving her a good view of the strangely empty room.

"I hope you both had a good night sleep." Mira jumped when she heard Director Fury's voice. She whirled around, grabbing her light staff in a form of self defense. "You have good reflexes. Those will come in handy for the test."

"What test?" Beck asked warily.

"Every stranger that walks through these doors must take a test," Director Fury explained. "We create a file that fits your personalities. After that, we decide whether or not you are capable of joining SHIELD."

"And what makes you think we want to join SHIELD?" Mira demanded.

Despite the fear that slowly wormed it's way through her, she couldn't help being curious. What made SHIELD any different from the Grid? They defended Users just like Tron and the Revolutionists had defended programs.

"Look, for your own protection it's best you keep a low profile," Natasha replied. She glanced at Director Fury, as if seeking his approval. When he remained silent, she continued, "SHIELD not only keeps the Earth safe from threats the FBI or other organizations can't stop. They sanction people like you."

_What in the world does that mean_? Mira wished she could ask the question. But so far she was already so confused that it would only make things worse.

"And as such, we need to find out just how capable you two are at defending yourselves," Director Fury added. "Which is why I've asked Agent Barton to join us." Natasha stiffened at the name. Mira raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask who that was, the door slid open with a loud hiss.

Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, very muscular looking man. Mira couldn't help but be taken in by his appearance. He had short, spiky blonde hair, and the suit he had on was very different from Natasha's.

"Please tell me this is some kind of joke," he scoffed when Mira followed the others inside.

"Save it," Director Fury snapped. "They know more about the attacker than we realized."

"Hawkeye." Natasha folded her arms when the man looked at her with a smirk.

"Widow. It's been a while." There was an edge to his voice. Tension soon filled the room when Director Fury headed for the sidelines. "You can't seriously expect a couple of kids to take down this new threat," he added under his breath.

Natasha glanced over at Mira and Beck. Beck's expression was almost priceless. It seemed like both Natasha and Barton had several names.

"We'll start with you Beck," Natasha said. Barton frowned when she completely ignored his comment. "Clint, you think you can take him?" She glanced at him with a knowing look.

"With my eyes closed," Clint replied with a grin.

Beck didn't seem too pleased with the idea of fighting a User. Mira couldn't help but share his unease as she stood beside Natasha. Tron fought for the Users. He had never mentioned actually fighting them.

The two watched each other carefully. Clint was waiting for Beck to make the first move. Nanocycles of awkward silence filled the room until Clint finally threw the first punch. Beck's eyes lit up as he dodged the oncoming attack. He quickly moved from side to side as Clint tried to knock him out. When Clint finally did manage to leave a mark, Beck caught his fist and twisted to the side.

Frustration was evident in Clint's eyes as he threw his legs out to trip Beck. But he saw the move coming and jumped, only to feel another fist slam into his cheek. Beck was sent flying across the room, but he quickly landed on his feet, momentarily stunned.

_Users he's fast_! Mira thought as she watched the scene with awe. Clint made Clu's soldiers look like a bunch of children as he threw a few more punches. Each blow seemed to block Beck's attempt at fighting back. But Mira knew that Beck was only warming up. This was nothing compared to the drills Tron had put them through.

Mira smirked when Beck caught Clint by the fist once more. Without warning Beck sent Clint flying with a good kick in the chest. Clint landed on the floor with a skidding halt.

"Not bad for a rookie," Clint grunted. He looked at Beck in surprise when he helped him up. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"We'd be dead if we couldn't defend ourselves," he explained warily.

Another awkward silence filled the room. Mira held back a laugh when she saw the look of pride in Beck's eyes. The fight could have gotten worse. Somehow Clint managed to hold back tackling Beck to the ground after the fight was over.

"All right kid, time to see what you're capable of," Natasha said once Director Fury was finished working on the notes he had gathered.

She frowned at the statement. Beck had already proven he could easily hold his own in a fight. But this was something she had been dreading since they reached the room. Natasha was obviously more skilled at fighting than she let on.

Beck suddenly grabbed her by the wrist before she followed Natasha. "Be careful," he whispered. There was a mark on his cheek where Clint had punched him. But he didn't seem to notice the pain until she hugged him.

"You know me," she whispered back. "I'm always careful."

"That's what worries me." Mira smirked at the chagrin in his voice.

"Bitbrain," she muttered.

"Cut the slack lovebirds," Clint groaned as he pulled Beck away. Mira was surprised to find herself grinning at the comment. She had a feeling Tron would have said the same thing.

She finally joined Natasha in the center of the room. That same cold expression sent shivers down Mira's arms. It reminded her too much of the way Rinzler would always stare down at her. His disk would be raised, ready for the final strike that never came. She was left trembling in the prison cell, wishing that he would actually end the torture.

Panic gripped at her chest when she realized that everyone was staring at her. Natasha finally struck her in the arm, and Mira jumped at the sudden attack. Instinct quickly took over. Mira reeled to the left and jabbed her foot into Natasha's back.

Natasha moved like the wind and grabbed her right elbow. Mira gasped at the sudden pain that followed. She managed to pull away and throw a fist into Natasha's left cheek. Mira found herself dodging each of Natasha's attacks. She struck back with just as much force as Natasha had.

Mira hardly noticed that Natasha was fighting like Rinzler had. The redhead managed to pin Mira to the floor, holding her by the arms as she tried wriggling free. Mira suddenly kicked up her legs, pushing them into Natasha's stomach with as much force as she could muster. Natasha finally staggered back, choking in surprise at the sudden impact.

"I think we've seen enough," Director Fury announced once Natasha recovered from the attack. "You both fought well, considering your opponents. Romanoff and Barton are my top agents. The best of the best." Mira rolled her eyes when Clint smirked at the compliment.

_Someone's a bit of an airhead_, she thought.

"Okay, now I'm really curious to find out who taught you those moves." Clint folded his arms and looked between Beck and Mira.

Mira exchanged a wary look with Beck. Sooner or later SHIELD would find out where they came from. Telling the truth now might actually be a wise choice. Beck's shrug told her that he wasn't too sure of what to say either.

"Most of what I've learned is self-taught," Mira explained. "As for you..." She glanced at Beck, whose eyes were narrowed as he thought of what to say.

"Tron taught me everything I know," he added.

All three Users looked at them in disbelief. Suddenly the tension that had filled the room earlier returned. And Mira wished that they had kept their mouths shut.

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**AN: Yep, Hawkeye is definitely my favorite Avenger. Mostly cause he's so loveable :P More chapters will be posted soon, so please let me know what you thought of this one!**

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	6. Secrets Are Better Kept Hidden

**This chapter was originally another nine hundred words long, but I cut that part out due to... it being so crappy. I didn't like the way it ended, but I like the ending it has now. Thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D**

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**Chapter Six**

**Secrets Are Better Kept Hidden**

"Wait a minute... you mean as in the video game character?" Clint glanced at both Natasha and Director Fury. Their expressions were difficult to read. Mira tilted her head to one side as she wondered just how much they knew about Flynn's discovery.

"Yeah... something like that," Beck replied after looking at Clint in confusion.

"Look, it's kind of hard to explain-" Mira was cut off by Director Fury. He held up another tablet and pulled out what looked like a vast file of codes. Mira was suddenly reminded of the super computer that Tron had used in the safehouse. They were more similar than she realized.

"Your saying that you came from the Grid?" Director Fury's question caught them both by surprise. "We found out about it two years before Kevin Flynn disappeared. What he discovered was a digital utopia... of sorts."

Mira stared at Director Fury as if he'd grown wings. How did they find out so quickly?

"And according to this file, a young girl disappeared around the same time Flynn disappeared," he added after searching through the files once more.

A shiver crawled down Mira's arm when she realized that he was referring to her. She was foolish enough to follow Flynn. And it was her sheer stupidity that got her sent to the Grid in the first place. If she had listened to her parents, she might still be with them right now.

"How are you still this young?" Natasha finally spoke up, her voice stiff with surprise as she studied the file.

"Time works differently on the Grid," Beck quickly explained.

"And you're saying that because of the time flow, people don't age as quickly." Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Until now the thought had never occurred to Mira. She found it strange that she didn't age like a normal User would. Most of the time she was just worried about getting caught again by Clu.

"That's something we'll have to look into." Director Fury finally closed the file and tossed the tablet aside. "But that doesn't explain where those came from." Mira flinched when he looked at the scars under her suit.

She took a deep breath, unsure how to explain the situations she had been through. It was difficult enough having to explain what had happened to Beck and Tron. She bit the bottom of her lip before explaining what had happened. All of them were shocked when she told them about Rinzler the torture she had endured. By the time she was finished her throat was dry.

"So the only reason you came here was to close those Portals," Natasha said when silence filled the room.

"The only way to do that is through a super computer," Mira replied after swallowing. "If we can find one we might be able to save Tron as well." She glanced at Beck, hoping to get some kind of response out of him.

She didn't miss the steely look in Clint's eyes at the mention of saving Tron. After explaining that Tron had been repurposed, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. Maybe he had faced something similar.

"We only know of a few who have a computer that strong," Director Fury told them. "As much as I hate to admit it, Stark is about the only one I'd trust with this kind of knowledge."

Natasha stiffened at the mention of Stark. Mira raised an eyebrow as she thought of the name. She had heard of it before somewhere along the lines of her past. He was famous, or infamous, for being a genius billionaire. But that was about all she could remember.

"First we need to take care of Cyrus," Beck suddenly said. "He came from the Grid as well, but he's different from other programs."

"How different exactly?" Clint demanded.

"Like, sociopath different," Mira replied. "He threatened to destroy the Grid, and nearly killed us all in the process."

"So in other words, he's like any other super villain we've faced," Clint said with a smirk.

_How can you be so calm in a time like this_? Mira wondered as Natasha punched his arm at the remark. Back on the Grid programs would be panicking or trying to figure out what was going on. Even Beck was smart enough to know that Cyrus wasn't like any other super villain.

"We need to track him down before we can plan an attack," Director Fury explained. "Until than, I want you two to take them to Stark Tower."

He glanced at Natasha and Clint. Both didn't look too pleased at the thought of seeing Stark. Mira had a feeling that whoever this guy was, he wasn't easy to get along with.

. . .

"Sir?" Director Fury stood beside Maria as she studied the notes he'd written down. As the second in command, she needed to know everything that was going on. And this was one set of news she was not expecting. "Are you sure it's a good idea to keep this a secret?" she asked when he finally looked down at her.

"If they all found out the truth, it would be difficult for them to accept," he replied. "Secrets are better kept hidden in situations like this."

Maria frowned as she pulled an image of Mira as a baby from one of the files he had gathered. She was adopted as a child. No one knew where she came from or who her birth parents were. The family that had raised her cared for her. But after she vanished she was nearly forgotten.

"So we're just going to act like this never happened?" She wasn't too fond of the idea. If her hunch was true, which it usually was, than this kid had a right to know who her birth parents were. And her birth parents had the right to know that she was alive and right in front of them.

It suddenly made sense now that she thought of. The girl was so much like them that she should have noticed it sooner. She was quiet and shy, but intelligent enough to know when to talk. Her friend on the other hand... he was a completely different story.

"Maybe once this is all settled we'll tell them," Director Fury told her. "But until we find this Cyrus character, we can't have them knowing the truth."

Her shoulders sagged at the thought of keeping such a secret from two of SHIELD's top agents. If they deflected from SHIELD, it would be difficult to find others like them. But she couldn't keep arguing with Director Fury. He was right. Some secrets were better kept hidden from the world.

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**AN: Ah secrets... SHIELD is known for keeping them, a bit too well if you ask me ;) This chapter was probably my favorite out of the first few we've had so far. We'll see where the next ones go after this!**


	7. Stark Tower

**AN: So this was a fun chapter to write up. Thanks to 2theSky (Love your avatar by the way, so cute!) and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are amazing!**

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**Chapter Seven**

**Stark Tower**

Something tapped on Mira's shoulder, and she tried pushing them away. The tap was harder this time. Mira blinked open her eyes when she caught the finger that was tapping her. Her eyes widened when she saw Beck grinning at her like an idiot.

"You kind of fell asleep," he explained when she glared back at him.

"What? When?" Mira felt her heart nearly skip a beat when she realized that they on the move. Clint and Natasha were up front, driving what appeared to be something similar to a light jet. The view outside told her that they were still high above ground.

"A couple of hours ago, give or take," Clint replied over his shoulder. "You've got good reflexes by the way," he added after she forced back a yawn.

"Being on the Grid can do that to you," she muttered crossly.

"Yeah, last time you did that you nearly derezzed me," Beck added in a slight chagrin. Mira smirked and punched him in the arm lightly for that remark.

"So are you two like a couple or something?" Clint's question caught them both off guard. Heat rose to Mira's cheek while Beck shifted away from her uncomfortably.

"Of course not." Clint looked like he was ready to burst out in laughter when they said that at the same time.

Embarrassment washed over Mira, and she took it upon herself to look out the small window beside her. It wasn't exactly something they talked about on a regular basis. On the Grid they only had a few chances to hang out together.

_And we still had the curfew to worry about than_, she thought bitterly. Here in the User world, it seemed as though there was no curfew.

"We're almost there," Natasha announced after an awkward silence filled the small space.

Mira peered outside the window and saw a massive looking building loom ahead. Just under what looked like a parking deck were large letters with the word, _Stark_. Again the name sounded familiar, and Mira suddenly wished she remembered why.

In a matter of nanocycles they made a safe, if not bumpy, landing on the parking deck. Mira quickly stood up and followed them outside.

Almost at once wind blasted past them once they headed for the door. Down below Mira could see countless vehicles passing the large structure. All around them were buildings that seemed dwarfed by the tower.

"Where are we?" Beck asked when the door slid open.

"Did you give them a memory drug before getting here?" Mira jumped when someone stepped out to greet them.

Now she suddenly remembered why the name Stark sounded so familiar. She _had_ seen him from somewhere.

Part of her User memories involved meeting him long before she had disappeared on the Grid. Now he looked slightly different, but his appearance hadn't changed much since she last saw him. He had well kept, dark brown hair along with a nicely trimmed beard. For the most part, he looked like any other User.

"They're not from around here," Natasha explained when Beck glared at him in response.

"The suits are kind of a dead giveaway," he scoffed. "Now Fury told me that you'd be coming. I wanna know why you need my tech for whatever mission it is you're going on."

"You might wanna sit down for this one," Clint told him after ruffling the back of his hair.

His eyes widened with disbelief when they explained what had happened, and where Mira and Beck had come from. Nanocycles seemed to pass before he finally took it all in once they were inside the building. For a moment Mira was afraid he might just think that they were lying.

"Kind of makes sense actually," he said after an awkward silence filled the large space.

The room was strangely comfortable looking compared to the HQ building they had been in earlier. Mira found herself trying to take in everything at once. Seats were laid out in the center of the room. Just behind the seats was a bar.

"How big of a problem are these Portals?" Natasha broke Mira from her thoughts. She finally glanced at Beck, who seemed just as awestruck by the room's elegant appearance.

"Let's just say that if Clu found his way through, it wouldn't be a pretty ending," he finally replied.

"Okay, I'm lost," Stark's shoulders sagged in annoyance. "Who's Clu?"

"The ruler of the Grid," Mira explained warily. "He's a tyrant who believes that only through perfection will there ever be freedom."

Bitter memories of seeing Clu's face suddenly crossed her thoughts. All of this had happened because of Clu. From Cyrus betraying Tron to Tron getting repurposed. She suddenly found herself hating Clu now more than ever.

"Well that just about clarifies everything," Stark muttered crossly. "We do have a computer that might just be strong enough. I've actually been working on something similar to the... Grid."

"You can't possibly be serious," Clint scoffed as he began leading the way.

"Hey, I had a lot of time on my hands," he replied over his shoulder. "After reading all the stories on what Flynn was up to, I couldn't resist."

Mira bit the bottom of her lip when she realized just how popular Flynn's theories had been. How many others had tried creating a place like the Grid? If it were even possible, they might have suffered the same fate as Flynn.

Soon they were led down a flight of stairs, to another part of the building. The walls were well built. Mira noticed a few tiny dents within them, and she wondered what could have possibly caused such damage.

"This is where I do most of my experiments," Stark explained after typing in a series of codes. The door slid open shortly after, revealing a much larger room. "Be amazed, not too many people get to see this room." The smugness in his voice made Mira wish she could slap him.

"Did you build all of this?" Beck sounded impressed when he followed the rest of them inside.

"Most of it," Stark replied. "The suits are kind of my thing. I guess you could call me the mechanic."

"Please tell me you still have that tool Bodhi made?" Mira whispered after realizing how much they could do with such a device. Manipulating the code in these objects might actually prove useful in the future.

"I always keep it with me," he replied with a smirk.

Stark's eyes widened when Beck grabbed the tool. Mira guessed that he had never seen such a device in the User world.

"Here's the super computer." A massive looking computer was placed in the back of the room. Mira raised an eyebrow when she noticed how similar it was to the computer in Tron's safehouse. "So what kind of device is that?" he asked when they reached it.

"My friend designed it back when we were on the Grid," Beck explained. "It's a device that allows me to modify the code of any object."

_Please let it work_, Mira thought as he placed it on the keyboard. Her shoulders sagged in relief when a holographic image of codes appeared. Beck's smirk told her that he knew exactly what to do. This computer really was almost an exact replica of the one Tron had in the safehouse.

The three Users took a startled step back as Beck went to work modifying the code. Mira held her breath as she waited for any sign of the Grid to appear. Nanocycles seemed to pass before the screen in front of them suddenly went blank. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when an image of the Grid suddenly flickered on.

"That's it," Beck whispered after standing up.

"Home," Mira added under her breath. She almost missed the calming shades of blue and green lights that once surrounded Argon City. "The Portals are opening up throughout the Outlands and parts of Argon," she said after noticing the bright lights illuminating in the Outlands.

Beck sifted through the images until they reached the Outlands. His eyes widened in alarm when he realized that she was right. There were more Portals opening up than ever. Mira was amazed that Clu hadn't noticed them yet. If he was as smart as he claimed, he would have looked at the memories on Tron's disk.

"That's the Grid?" Clint sounded dumbstruck as Beck typed in a few more codes.

"No, that's the Outlands," Mira explained. "The Grid is much larger than this. Think we can close the Portals from here?" She glanced at Beck as he looked at the screen in what she guessed was frustration.

"The last time you used your disk to close the Portal," Beck murmured after frowning.

Mira held back a sigh of frustration when she realized that he was right. She had noticed the moment they were back they didn't have their identity disks. Yet one more thing to worry about being in the User world.

"Let me try something," she whispered.

She took a deep breath before placing her hand on the code modifier. Almost at once memories of everything she had done on the Grid came back. She didn't even notice that the images were playing on the screen itself.

From her first encounter with Rinzler, to meeting Cutler and Quorra for the first time. Than running away from the cities that were being occupied by Clu's generals. Than came the memories of meeting Beck and Tron for the first time. Her hands were trembling by the time the memories suddenly stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Mira pulled back when she realized what had happened. She didn't even know who had asked the question, but at this point she didn't care.

"They closed." Beck sounded more concerned than relieved. "How exactly did that happen?" he added a bit more cautiously.

"Somehow that device tapped into your memories," Stark replied. "From what I've just seen... that's pretty impressive."

"So Cyrus tried killing you more than once," Natasha added when an uneasy silence filled the room.

"Like I said, he's a sociopath," Mira said with a shrug. Her voice was still shaken by the events that just unfolded. When she finally opened her eyes she noticed that everyone was staring at both her and Beck in disbelief. "Now we need to find a way to stop him."

"I think we should all get some rest." Mira stiffened when Stark said that. No one seemed to protest as Beck pulled out the code modifier. "After what happened today, we'll need it."

At this point Mira didn't bother arguing. Part of her was relieved they were giving her some space to recover from the incident. She wasn't even sure how it had happened. But one thing was certain, she didn't want it to happen again.

. . .

It was late by the time they were led to their rooms. Natasha felt her shoulders sag in relief as she followed the others to the living space. After everything that had happened, she had a feeling those two would have a difficult time sleeping.

"Need a drink?" Natasha raised an eyebrow when she spotted Tony standing behind the bar. He was pouring two glasses of whiskey. One for him and another for Clint, who was sitting on one of the stools nearby.

"You owe me ten bucks," she announced after reaching them. Clint scowled at her before passing the money. "Director Fury already knew about the Grid before Flynn disappeared," she added when she grabbed a glass for herself.

"So basically what you're saying is, he didn't see it as a threat," Tony replied.

Natasha shrugged in response. "It wasn't important at the time," she explained. "We had more... important issues at hand."

She was still unnerved by what had happened to SHIELD's newest interest. The girl had endured that much torture and could still speak to strangers like that. Something like that didn't happen to humans too often.

"So what now?" Clint asked after finishing his drink.

"We find out what they're really up to," Natasha replied.

_They're obviously hiding something_, she added silently. _And I want to find out what it is they're hiding_.

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**AN: So yep. A lot of happenings here. Hopefully this wasn't too rushed, but for some reason I feel like it was. Anywho, please let me know what you thought of this in a review!**

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	8. New Discoveries

**AN: Got this chapter finished. And I enjoyed typing this :D Also, thanks to Sunofaia, 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

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**Chapter Eight**

**New Discoveries**

Bright light filtered through the windows, waking Mira from a deep sleep. Her eyes widened in alarm until she realized that it was just the sun. The alarm was suddenly replaced with awe as golden rays appeared above the tall buildings.

_I can't even remember the last sunrise I've watched_, she thought sadly.

"Good morning ma'am, Mr. Stark would like to see you immediately." Mira jumped when she heard a voice sounding over the intercom. She blinked after spotting a small computer-like screen beside the door. She wasn't sure what to make of the device until the screen went blank.

The technology that Users had was different from what she had been used to. She quickly slid open the door and made her way to the living space. Stark was standing inside, holding what she guessed was the paper that Maria had told them about.

"I'm glad to see you've gotten Jarvis's wake-up call," Stark said after noticing her arrival.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Nothing much aside from your buddy Cyrus," Clint replied before Stark could speak up. Mira hadn't even noticed that he was in the room along with Natasha. Obviously Beck wasn't awake yet. "Turns out he did follow you all the way here."

Mira's eyes widened when Stark showed her the images he'd been looking at. Sure enough Cyrus's lean figure had been spotted. So far he had not caused this city any problems, but it was only a matter of time. He was wearing a cloak this time, similar to the one he'd had on the Grid.

"How long ago was this taken?" she asked warily.

"Last night," Stark told her. "Apparently the press doesn't like it when cars are blown up, especially in this city."

She held back a groan of frustration when she realized just how serious this was. A few vehicles had been turned over, while others had their tops taken off by what she guessed were bombs he had created. It wouldn't take the Users long to realize that there was more to Cyrus than just muscles and intelligence.

"I'm sorry," she sighed.

"Why are you sorry? Not like you could've seen this coming," Stark said with the slightest of smirks.

"It's my fault he's on the loose." Mira flinched when she heard Beck's voice coming from behind. Stark raised an eyebrow at his remark while Clint looked up from the book that he was reading. "I'm the one that found his prison, and I'm the one that let him escape."

"You're saying he was trapped in a prison?" Clint looked at Beck in surprise when he nodded.

"It was like compressed space on the Grid," Mira explained. "Tron had his old friend Able build it when Cyrus began to... change." She felt a shiver run down her arms at the thought.

Maybe the job of being the Renegade had been too stressful for Cyrus. Maybe that was why he had finally lost it in the end. Or perhaps being part of Clu's army had triggered some kind of fail safe within his code. One way or another, Cyrus was a threat that needed to be stopped.

"That's pretty impressive." Stark folded his arms as he noticed how uneasy they both looked. "What? You two keep acting like someone's about to run you over with a car," he added with a slight chuckle.

"More like getting chased by the black guard every cycle," Beck grumbled. "It's not easy adjusting to this kind of life."

Stark frowned and exchanged a look with Clint. Mira felt even more uneasy when Clint shrugged in some kind of silent response.

"I think it's time we showed you what it's like to be human, before we jump into battle," Stark finally said. An uncomfortable silence had filled the room before he spoke up. Mira raised an eyebrow when he started walking towards another hallway. "First thing's first, time to change out of those outdated outfits," he added over his shoulder.

This time Mira held back a blush when she realized what that meant. Even Beck looked confused as to what Stark had said. Clint's smirk wasn't helping them feel any better.

"This should be fun," Clint said under his breath.

She resisted the urge to glare at him as she returned to her room. This wasn't something she had done in a long time. And she wasn't looking forward to it.

. . .

It didn't take Mira nearly as long as she was expecting to figure out how the suit came off. She was relieved to find that Stark had left clothing in the dresser. The clothing wasn't fancy looking like the suit Alan had worn. But it was enough to satisfy her as she picked out the shirt and pants.

_This is one part of my life that I actually miss_, she thought after getting dressed. It was a purple shirt with the long sleeves nicely cut. And the pants were a normal pair of jeans that seemed to go perfectly._ I suppose this is better than ever_.

Mira couldn't help but grin when she looked at the mirror placed beside the dresser. Her hair still had that same mousy brown appearance. But it was longer now, since she hadn't cut it in some time. Now it had grown so that the tip of her hair touched her ears.

With that task finished, she stepped out of her room to see that Beck was still having trouble figuring it out. Mira smirked when she heard a loud thud, followed by a groan of frustration.

"You okay in there?" By now she was smothering her laughter when Clint finally knocked on the door.

Beck's reply was a muffled response. A few more nanocycles passed before the door finally slid open. Clint's eyes widened while Mira smothered another fit of laughter. Without warning Clint shoved Beck back into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. Mira could hear the muffled voices from outside as Clint tried to explain why it was important to wear clothing while out in public.

"What's going on in there?" Mira jumped when she heard Natasha's voice. She hadn't even noticed the older woman's arrival until she looked over her shoulder.

"Beck hasn't quite grasped the concept of putting clothing on," Mira explained. She was surprised that she had remembered after spending such a long time on the Grid. She didn't miss the look of surprise when Natasha realized what she meant by that.

"There's a visual I didn't need," she muttered crossly.

A few more nanocycles passed before both Beck and Clint emerged from the room. Clint's eyes were narrowed in frustration as he shoved his way past Mira.

"Never. Again," he grumbled.

By now both Mira and Natasha were laughing as Beck ruffled the back of his hair in embarrassment. Mira had a feeling that whatever went on in there, it wasn't pretty for either of them.

"Tony thought it would be a good idea to teach you both how things work here," Natasha added as they made their way back to the living space.

"That would be... nice." Beck sounded a bit unsure of himself when they reached the bar.

"It shouldn't take you long to figure things out." Mira looked down at the floor when she realized that Natasha was right.

_I suppose it's easier for me to adjust since I'm a User_, she thought. Beck on the other hand, was going to have a difficult time learning how to act and behave like a User. But at least Maria had given them a heads up before they had reached SHIELD.

. . .

In a matter of hours (it was still difficult for either of them to grasp the concept of time in this world), Natasha and Clint managed to explain the basics of User life. For starters, Users were actually called humans in their world. Mira was able to figure out how to eat rather quickly, while Beck still had difficulty using a fork.

By the time they were ready for sleep, everything came rushing back to Mira. She found it easier to perform tasks such as turning on the television or the computer that Tony had left them. Fortunately Beck had learned fairly quickly as well.

For the most part, they were both exhausted by the time Natasha had given up. Clint had given up on them a few hours before Natasha, throwing his arms up in frustration before walking away. At that point Mira was struggling to hold back her laughter once more.

"He doesn't have a lot of patience, does he?" she asked when Beck fell asleep on the sofa.

"It's been a long day," Natasha replied. "He may not like to show it but he does care."

"Thank you," Mira suddenly sighed. "You didn't have to let us stay."

Natasha looked at her in surprise before throwing a blanket on the sofa. "Don't thank me. Tony's the one that let you stay." She paused before glancing at Mira thoughtfully. "Besides, no one should have to go through what you two did."

Mira didn't miss the flash in her eyes when she said that. Something similar had happened to her. Mira simply nodded in understanding before returning to her room. At least now that they understood how things worked in the User world, their mission would get finished sooner.

_And Cyrus will finally be taken down_, she added silently.

* * *

**AN: Okay, this was almost too fun to write. Though it feels a bit rushed, I just wanted to get everything in. And did I forget to mention how much I love OneRepublic? I've fallen in love with their music all over again ^^ Absolutely love Ryan's voice!**

_**Hope when you take that jump, You don't fear the fall, Hope when the water rises, You build a wall, Hope when the crowd screams out, They're screaming your name, Hope if everybody runs, You choose to stay**_

_** Hope that you fall in love, And it hurts so bad, The only way you can know, Is give it all you have, And I hope that you don't suffer, But take the pain, Hope when the moment comes, You'll say...**_

_**I, I did it all, I, I did it all, I owned every second, That this world could give, I saw so many places, The things that I did, Yeah, with every broken bone, I swear I lived**_

**I Lived, by OneRepublic. I do not own these amazing lyrics in any way :)**

**End of Line**


	9. The Warning

**AN: So here's the next chapter! I actually had this finished yesterday, but I took the day off for Thanksgiving ;) So thanks to 2theSky, PrincessKai317 and Sunofaia for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**The Warning**

It was still early when Mira started looking through the music on the computer in the living space. After searching through the rooms for a pair of headphones, she finally found a pair inside her dresser under a pile of clothes. If there was one thing she remembered from her User past, it was that she loved music.

She sifted through the files until she found a song that looked interesting. Glancing over her shoulders to make sure that Beck was still asleep, she put the headphones on and clicked on the file.

"**When I was a kid, I used to buy and sell gravity, I knew how to fly, And I would teach you for a fee, Broke every window, In my hotel heart, When I was only 5 years old but 12 years scarred, And I'd hear, the same voice, Echo in my mind, Said, "Son you got an angel, To chase the devil at night." Yeah**...

**When I was a kid, My grandfather was a preacher, He'd talk about God, Yeah he was something like a teacher, He said, "God only helps those, Who learn to help themselves.", He was a million miles from a million dollars, But you could never spend his wealth**..."

Mira found her finger tapping on the desk to the beat. Surprisingly the lyrics were fitting for the kind of life she had. On the Grid she was forced to grow up quickly. And she had to learn quickly to help herself. Relying on others was something she hadn't done since Quorra rescued her.

She jumped when she felt a nose poking at her leg. Rinzler looked up at her with large red eyes. She couldn't help but grin before rubbing the back of his ear.

"Must be nice to have such a carefree life," she whispered after taking the headphones off. Rinzler seemed to purr in agreement before jumping onto her lap. "You really are more trouble than you're worth." She grinned when he started licking the back of his paw.

How he managed to find his way out of her room was beyond her. But she was thankful for his company. Rinzler made a good companion when there was no one else around.

Beck was just beginning to wake up when Rinzler jumped off of her lap. He let out a groan of annoyance when Rinzler pounced on his back. Mira had to laugh before she picked Rinzler up.

"What time is it?" Beck's voice was still groggy.

"It's still pretty early," she replied after turning the computer off. "Everyone else is probably asleep."

Once again Mira was proven wrong when she heard footsteps echoing throughout the halls. She rolled her eyes when Tony peered inside the room to see if they were awake.

"You guys might want to see this." Mira glanced at Beck when he finally shook off his sleep.

Before they could ask what was happening, the lights behind Tony flickered on and off. Mira blinked in surprise. The last time that had happened on the Grid, Tesler was drilling for energy. Tony frowned and turned back towards the hall, to where the lab was.

The lights flickered on and off again when they reached the lab. Clint and Natasha were already inside, looking rather worried as Tony approached them.

"From what it seems like someone has hacked into my security system," Tony explained after typing in a few codes on his super computer. "They were quick and precise."

"You're just peeved that someone found all of your files," Clint retorted.

"Files that could be dangerous in the hands of enemies." Clint only rolled his eyes at Tony's remark.

One thought had crossed Mira's mind. She glanced at Beck, who had also been thinking the same thing.

"Only one program is capable of doing that," Beck said warily.

"The only way he could've done that was by getting inside the building," Tony said in an accusing tone.

_Cyrus has other means of getting inside his system_, Mira thought. _He was able to hack into Tron's security without any trouble_.

Suddenly, a garbled voice echoed throughout the building. Mira jumped when she recognized the strange, almost static-like voice. Beck's eyes widened in horror when he realized who was speaking. In a split second the screen in front of them suddenly flashed on. Natasha raised a gun at the screen, only to drop it when an eerily familiar face appeared.

"I'm going to make this simple for you all," Cyrus began in that same messed up voice. "Give yourselves up, and I'll leave quietly. But put up a fight, and the bombs I've planted throughout the city will go off."

"What makes you think we'd trust you?" Mira's hands were trembling when Cyrus narrowed his eyes.

"I suppose you have a point." His chuckle only made Mira's blood run cold. "You of all Users should know that I stay true to my word."

As quickly as Cyrus's face had appeared on the screen, it disappeared. The lights flickered back on, leaving everyone a bit jumpy after what had just happened. Tony started working immediately to reset the codes he had modified for his security system.

"So what now?" Mira frowned as she thought of what could possibly be done. Even if they did give themselves up, Cyrus would still threaten the world. It was in his nature to destroy everything in his path.

"We give ourselves up," she suddenly whispered. Beck stared at her in disbelief before she continued, "Look, Cyrus is a creature of habit, right?" She glanced at Beck, who nodded in agreement. "So we distract him while you find the bombs."

"That's... actually not a bad idea," Clint said after giving the idea some thought.

"It's a risky move," Natasha muttered. "If he is as dangerous as you claim, than he might already see this coming."

Mira folded her arms and looked at them defiantly. Beck suddenly saw where this was going and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"We can do this," he said reassuringly. "Two is better than one, right?"

"Actually three is better than one," Tony replied. "I managed to reach the Capsicle and Banner. They're on their way."

Natasha and Clint exchanged looks before accepting the challenge. "We'll keep watch from above while you attack from below," Natasha explained after Clint walked out of the room. "If this goes south than there's no telling what could happen."

* * *

**AN: So yeah... they'll be meeting the rest of the team (aside from Thor of course), and that will make for an interesting chapter :P Looking forward to typing up the next one. I have way too many ideas for this story ^^"**

**Oh, and I do not own the song Preacher in any way. It's owned by OneRepublic :)**

**End of Line**


	10. Confrontation

**AN: Thought I would run a double update today, since the last chapter was so short ;) Hope this longer chapter makes up for that! Thanks to 2theSky for reviewing so quickly, you're a speedy reviewer! :D**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Confrontation**

Time seemed to move slowly. Mira followed Beck and Natasha to the first level of the building. Clint was already waiting for them by the doors. Mira raised an eyebrow when she noticed the suit he was wearing.

Etched in on his chest was a red symbol that resembled a hawk. Mira didn't miss the weapons he used. Strapped on his back were the arrows that Natasha had told her about.

"What took you so long?" Clint asked with a smirk.

"Can it Hawkeye," Natasha snapped. "Are you ready?" She glanced back at Mira and Beck. They had both changed into the only outfits they found suitable for this situation. Mira wasn't too fond of the suits that SHIELD had created, but thankfully Tony had given the suits a nice touch of color. Mira's suit was a dark gray with white stripes and streaks of purple, while Beck's was similar to the one he had on the Grid.

"I think so," Mira replied after checking to make sure she had grabbed her light baton.

"Keep your eyes and ears open guys, he's not far from where you're standing!" Mira froze when she heard Tony's voice through the earpiece she was given.

Thankfully Natasha had prepped them both before they stepped outside. They were given earpieces so that they could communicate with the others. Beck was fascinated with the little device, and the fact that one could talk through it. It was still difficult getting used to such technology.

Wind rushed past Mira's face when the doors slid open. Mira spotted Tony flying in the air with the Iron Man suit he had created. The spectators down below were watching with awe at the sight. A few people were smart enough to know that trouble was about to follow.

"Cap's got an eye out for the bombs, and Banner's not far behind," Tony added after landing nearby.

"Did you inform SHIELD about this?" Natasha asked.

"What do you think?" Mira could almost hear the smirk in Tony's voice.

Just as he said those words, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Beck grabbed onto the nearest object he could find, a fire hydrant. Mira felt the hair along her arms stand on end once the shaking finally stopped.

"What was that?" Clint's question was answered by a loud explosion.

"Told you he'd lie," Beck retorted.

"We've got several explosions going on at once," another voice told them. "Tony, what exactly are we looking for?"

"Hang on Rodgers, we're on our way." Mira raised an eyebrow at his response. "Keep up and stay off the streets," he added to Mira and Beck.

Mira simply rolled her eyes before running after Natasha and Clint. Beck easily kept up until they reached the spot where the explosions had taken place. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the shrapnel throughout the sidewalk and street.

"Looks like Cyrus is up to his old tricks," she whispered.

"If he can modify codes here, we're in more trouble than I realized," Beck added.

"Glad you could make it. I managed to free most of the civilians caught in the crossfire." The man that approached them was tall, maybe around the same height as Tron. Mira felt her mouth dropping open when she recognized him from her days as a younger User.

"Capsicle, am I glad you're here!" Captain America rolled his eyes when Tony spoke up.

_I never thought I'd meet a living legend_. Mira's thoughts churned with anxiety when he raised his shield. The comics she had read didn't do him any justice. In reality he was young looking, maybe in his twenties. He looked at Mira and Beck in surprise after finally noticing them.

"Iron Man, for the last time, it's Captain America," he replied through his earpiece. "And who are you?" Natasha stepped in between them, acting almost like a shield rather than a weapon.

"They're not from around here," Clint replied. "We'll explain everything later."

"So what exactly is this threat that Tony warned me about?" Mira felt her blood run cold when she saw something from the corner of her eye. Clint had spotted the figure first and aimed an arrow at it. The figure moved with inhuman speed, narrowly avoiding the exploding arrow.

"This is going to be much easier than I thought." The hood from his cloak finally pulled off, revealing a face that sent shivers of rage down Mira's back. "How does it feel to abandon everyone you care about?"

"We didn't abandon them!" Beck shot back.

Mira winced as Cyrus's smirk turned into a sly grin. He had hit a sore spot. Training 101, never let your guard down in front of your enemy. That was the first lesson Tron had taught Beck.

"Oh really? Then why has Clu taken over every city on the Grid?" Cyrus reached for something on his back. Mira's eyes widened when she realized that he still had his disk.

Quick as lightning he threw the activated disk, blades burning pure white. Everyone jumped out of the way just as Natasha kicked it after landing on her hands. Mira was thankful that Cyrus's grin faded when he noticed how skilled the Users were at combat. Cyrus caught the disk and threw it once more.

His attacks were fast and lethal. While the disk was sent flying, he jabbed a few blows at both Natasha and Beck. Mira searched for an opening and swung her light staff into the back of his neck. His eyes flashed with rage. She stumbled just in time to avoid getting caught in the ribs.

"Guys, get out of there!" Tony's voice came blaring through the earpiece. "That guy's a ticking time-bomb!" Before any of them could respond, a bright flash illuminated the street.

Panicked shouts echoed throughout the city when the buildings around them began to tremble. Mira pulled Beck towards her just as the top of a building began falling towards them. His eyes widened in disbelief when the building blocked their path from the others.

"Good, now we're alone." Mira whirled around to see Cyrus struggling to stand up. Her eyes widened at the sight. Smoke fumed from his body, and the glowing light began to fade.

"What have you done?" she grabbed him the collar of his suit while he was still struggling to stand.

"I'm going to make the world see us for what we really are!" he spat back. He grabbed his disk and sliced it across her arm, sending a jolting pain through her. "Think about it. I'm not the only program that walked through those Portals."

It was a standoff. Mira held her bleeding arm while Beck kicked Cyrus in the chest. Cyrus smirked and grabbed him by the leg. Mira winced when Cyrus twisted Beck's leg and sent him flying into the building the blocked their path.

"I've made you miserable on the Grid, and I can make you miserable here!" Again Mira struggled to throw a few punches into his chest. Cyrus dodged each strike and jumped onto a fire escape. "SHIELD has been keeping secrets from you. Secrets that only I'm aware of. If you want the truth, than you'll track me down."

Mira's eyes burned with rage as he disappeared up the fire escape. She could hear the screams of people around them as they tried to figure out what was going on. With a sigh of frustration, she ignored the pain that shot down her arm and grabbed hold of the fire escape.

He didn't get very far before she caught up with him. Cyrus stood on one side of the roof, while she stood on the other. His smirk told her that he had everything planned out. And that this was far from over.

"You really are a persistent User, aren't you?" Cyrus chuckled as he grabbed his disk. Mira grabbed her light staff, wincing as another wave of pain shot down her arm.

"Persistence is what has gotten me this far," she retorted.

Cyrus threw his disk in retaliation. She blocked the first throw and swung it back towards him. The glare he gave her was priceless when the disk left a cut on his cheek. Her eyes widened when she saw scarlet droplets landing on the ground below him.

_That isn't normal_, she realized. _Something really_ is _wrong with him_. Cyrus was about to attack again when the building began to tremble. Panic swept through Mira as she wondered if another explosion had shaken the streets.

"HULK SMASH!" She jumped out of the way just in time. Something large and green had slammed into Cyrus. The attack was unexpected, leaving the rogue program stunned. The creature had slammed his fists into Cyrus, and the cement roof underneath began to crack open.

"Hang on kid!" Mira's eyes widened when she felt someone grab her just as the building began to crumble. She didn't even know who had grabbed her, but she was thankful for the rescue. "That could've been ugly." It took her a few seconds to realize that Clint was standing beside her. They had landed on a building near the one that had just fallen apart.

"What... is that thing?" Mira demanded after catching her breath. She had seen monsters before. Gridbugs were about as scary as it got, if she didn't include Rinzler or Clu.

"Our secret weapon," Clint replied. "You okay kid? That looks like a nasty cut."

She winced when she rubbed her arm. "I've gone through worse," she muttered.

It didn't take long for the creature to emerge from the rubble. He was glaring at what was left standing when Clint jumped down to join him. Mira held back a sigh of frustration before joining them. The creature glared at them just as Natasha and Captain America arrived.

"Where is he?" Captain America's question made Mira wish she could suddenly disappear.

"Got away," the creature replied in the lowest of growls.

"After going through that?" Natasha's eyes widened when she realized what that meant.

"He's right," Tony announced as he flew by. "According to my scanner, Cyrus isn't even in the area anymore."

"How is that even possible?" Captain America glanced between Mira and Natasha.

"I think we have even bigger problems than that." Both Captain America and Natasha whirled around, only to find Beck standing behind them. His eyes were dark with worry when the creature turned to let out a menacing growl.

"Easy Hulk, he's with us," Clint said reassuringly.

"And what kind of problems would we have?" Natasha demanded.

Mira exchanged worried looks with Beck. He had seen the way Cyrus used himself as a bomb. It sounded unreal. But she didn't miss the eerie glowing from the circuits wrapped around his suit. For some reason Cyrus had managed to keep his appearance from the Grid.

"Cyrus is using himself as a bomb," Mira explained. All three of them stared at her in disbelief. She glanced back at Beck, who simply nodded in agreement. "When that building collapsed on the street, I saw that his... circuits were glowing."

"Is he an alien?" Captain America asked. His eyes were narrowed as he thought over the possibilities of what Cyrus might be.

"We need to let Damage Control deal with this mess," Natasha sighed after pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "We'll explain everything when we get back."

Captain America kept looking back at Mira and Beck. A few minutes of awkward silence soon followed before he lowered his shield.

"Fine, but I want answers, not flat-out lies," he muttered crossly.

Mira held back a sigh of frustration when she realized what that meant. Something told her that this was going to be a long day. And things were going to get much worse now that Cyrus had his own secret weapon.

* * *

**AN: So... yeah. Had to laugh at Mira's reaction when she sees the Hulk for the first time. He just needs a hug :P And of course Captain America is confused as always in the newer generation. Has no idea what's going on, just goes with the flow. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, I really appreciate those reviews!**

**End of Line**


	11. A Beautiful Lie

**AN: So this chapter is getting posted early, since I have three others typed up XD I've been very busy during my vacation. Big thanks to 2theSky, PrincessKai317, Sunofaia and Guest for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**A Beautiful Lie**

It took a while for Mira and Beck to explain everything to Steve Rodgers after they got back. The Hulk had returned in the form of someone Mira least expected to see. The infamous Dr. Bruce Banner, as she had found on the files that Natasha showed her, stood beside Steve. His mouth was nearly hanging open in shock by the time Beck finished speaking.

"Wait one moment... are you saying the Grid is... real?" Bruce finally asked.

"We're real, aren't we?" Beck countered the question, sounding more annoyed than usual. Mira couldn't help but understand why he was so annoyed.

It was getting old, having to explain where they came from. And of course everyone was so shocked that Flynn had managed to create the Grid in the first place. Mira had a feeling they'd be even more shocked if she tried to explain where the ISOs had come from.

"The Grid is a real place, believe it or not." Tony had joined them once he was finished taking off the Iron Man suit. "I've been studying the scans I made while you were fighting Cyrus," he added. "He doesn't have the same code that Beck has. His disk should've disappeared the moment he stepped foot into our world."

Mira frowned as she thought of what that meant. Cyrus had always been different from day one. Tron thought that he would become his next successor. He was proven wrong when Cyrus began to change. Maybe something had happened to him while he was part of Clu's army. Maybe Clu had put some kind of fail-safe on Cyrus cycles before he rescued Tron.

"So what does that mean?" Steve wondered out loud.

"It means that Cyrus is a bigger threat than we realized," Natasha replied.

"He's a ticking time bomb," Tony concluded.

"We need to find him before things get worse," Beck murmured. "Something tells me he won't stop until he's destroyed everything."

"You're right." Clint folded his arms while Mira held back a sigh of frustration. "But where would we even start?"

Unease crawled down Mira's arms. She had a feeling that Cyrus would be easier to find than they thought. He had a nasty habit of showing up at the worst time. And this wouldn't be the first time he had escaped unscathed.

"For now, I think it's best if you two stay with us until we get this mess sorted out." Both Steve and Bruce looked at Tony in annoyance. Mira had a feeling that this was something they hadn't planned on doing.

"So we're basically having a big sleepover?" Bruce muttered with a shake of his head.

"Ah come on big green," Tony said with a smirk. "Think of it as your new digs. You can have an entire level to yourself if you need one." Bruce narrowed his eyes at Tony's comment, but he took a deep breath and remained icily silent.

The meeting came to an abrupt end when Natasha followed Clint to the living space. It looked like Steve was still trying to grasp the idea of the Grid being real.

"Are you okay?" Beck's question took Mira by surprise when he finally looked at her arm. The cut had finally stopped bleeding, but it still stung when she held it up.

"I've been through worse," she murmured.

"That arm could get infected if you don't get it looked at," Tony said after noticing the cut as well. "Hey Banner, you got a minute?"

Bruce looked up from what he had been staring at. He simply nodded in response and joined them, eyes widening when he noticed the scars and bruises that covered Mira's hands and face.

"Do you have any bandages we can use on that?" he asked after observing the cut.

"Hang on." Tony stepped into another small room, leaving them in awkward silence. A few moments later and he returned with the bandages Bruce had asked for. Mira tried not to flinch when he wrapped the bandages around her arm. Bruce was doing his best to stay gentle until he was finished.

"Thanks," she said once Tony followed Steve into the living space.

"Looks like you've had a rough past." Mira flinched at Bruce's remark as they joined the others.

"It's not exactly easy living on the Grid," Beck said before she could reply.

She resisted the urge to glare when she realized that he was only trying to break the tension. With a sigh of frustration, she headed for the living space to see what everyone else was up to. Part of her wished they were still on the Grid. Back to before Cyrus had threatened them or escaped from his prison.

_We might not ever get back_, she realized. _The Portals were closed_, _and I doubt Flynn's arcade would have easy access_.

"I think after that, we all deserve a break!" Tony announced when they all reached the living space. Clint was sitting beside Natasha on the sofa, while Steve sat on one of the stools in front of the bar. Bruce smirked before approaching the small group. "How about a movie?"

Beck raised an eyebrow and glanced at Mira, who only shrugged in response. Despite everything that was happening, it would be nice to have a relaxing night. But maybe a movie wasn't the best idea she had in mind.

"We'll be outside if you need us," Mira replied before heading for the deck. Tony frowned at the comment, but she didn't give him a chance to argue. Beck was quick to follow as they headed outside.

She was surprised that no one tried stopping them. But at least she could have time to figure out what Cyrus had told her.

"Okay, what's up? You've been on the edge since we got back," Beck said once they were outside.

The cool night air didn't help as they moved as far away from the window as possible. Knowing Clint he'd be watching their every move. As far as Mira was concerned, she didn't need someone watching her make yet more mistakes.

"Do you think you can hack into SHIELD's database?" she asked after pulling out the tablet she had grabbed from her room.

"Easily," Beck replied with a smirk. "Tell me there's a good reason for this," he added before she handed him the tablet.

Mira took a deep breath before explaining what Cyrus had told her. She had a feeling that he was partly right about programs accidentally stepping through the Portals. The Portals was one thing, but the secrets that Cyrus had mentioned really caught her attention.

"What if he's right?" She rubbed her hands down her arm nervously as she looked at the buildings around them.

"Cyrus isn't one to give up on his target." Beck placed the tool that Bodhi had made on the screen. In an instant the codes were pulled apart as he went to work breaking into SHIELD's files. "But he might be right. Programs might have wandered into the Portals by accident."

Mira grinned when he handed her the tablet. All of the files she was interested in were right in front of her. She sifted through the files until she spotted the ones that had really caught her interest. Flynn's files had been kept under lock down until their arrival.

"Now we're getting somewhere," she muttered. She pulled out the file and discovered that SHIELD had known all about Flynn's adventure in Encom's system. He had created his own, almost like a replica. Only his system was bigger and more advanced. She was surprised that SHIELD had already known about programs and how human-like they were. "So they already knew about the Grid." She nearly dropped the tablet when an image of Tron and Clu appeared on the screen.

Beck's eyes widened when he recognized their faces. "What are... they doing on SHIELD's file?" he demanded.

"Don't know," Mira replied with a shrug. "From what it looks like, they tried deciding whether or not Clu and Tron were considered threats."

Cyrus was right about one thing. SHIELD did have their share of secrets. And the more files they searched through, the more they began to realize how risky this mission was.

"I think we've seen enough," Beck suddenly whispered. Mira didn't miss the worry in his eyes.

"One more thing," she said under her breath.

She finally found the files that she was looking for. SHIELD even composed a list of files on her before she had disappeared. She pulled out the file and quickly read through it, eyes scanning to find any news of her family. What she saw next made her eyes widen.

Listed under a picture of her when she was young (had her hair really been that short? Or that red?) was her full name. The tablet fell out of her shaking hands. Beck caught it and frowned when he noticed how nervous she suddenly was.

"What's wrong?" Mira finally met his startled gaze before wishing she hadn't. She looked back down at the file, and Beck's eyes widened when he realized why she was so shaken. "I think it's time we shut this thing off," he finally muttered.

"It can't be true, can it?" She was amazed at how shaken she sounded after he placed the tablet gently down. There was no reason having an angry Tony Stark going after them for breaking his toys.

"Maybe Cyrus changed the name somehow." Beck tried to sound reassuring, but that only seemed to make things worse. "Or it could be another... person with that last name."

"I sure hope so." She really did hope that he was right somehow. Knowing who her real parents were only made her feel worse.

* * *

**AN: Yep, I totally went there. Couldn't resist pulling that one off, if you've already made your guesses. Like I said, I've been planning this one since Rogue was started. Please let me know what you thought of it in a review!**

**PS: Her hair did change color while she was on the Grid. During her travels she changed her hair color because she stood out a bit too much.**

**End of Line**


	12. Visions Of The Past

**AN: So here's that quick update I've been dying to post. I already have another chapter typed up after this XD But anywho, thanks to 2theSky and Sunofaia for your quick reviews! You guys are awesome :D**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

**Visions of the Past**

The name kept on repeating itself throughout her dreams when Mira and Beck finally went to sleep. She wasn't even sure how late it was when they returned to their rooms. But the movie everyone had watched was over, and only Steve was still awake reading a book.

It didn't help that she kept having nightmares again. Each dream was different, but they ended the same way. The people in her dreams were nothing but shadows, but only two figures had caught her attention. They were the ones behind each murder. But behind the mask of darkness, Mira could see shame and grief in their eyes.

"_I have red on my ledger... I'd like to wipe it out_." Those chilling words had continued haunting Mira until she finally woke herself up. Natasha had said those words. Somehow they had gotten stuck in her thoughts as Mira got out of the bed.

"**I can't believe what she said, I can't believe what he did, Oh, don't they know it's wrong, yeah? Don't they know it's wrong, yeah? Maybe there's something I missed, But how could they treat me like this? It's wearing out my heart, The way they disregard...**"

Since sleep wasn't exactly easy to come by now, Mira found herself listening to music once more. It was still early in the morning, and she doubted anyone would be awake yet.

"**Oh, Father won't You forgive them? They don't know what they've been doin' (oh no), Oh, Father, give me grace to forgive them, 'Cause I feel like the one losin'...**"

Mira closed her eyes and tried to forget everything that had happened. Her dreams had felt so real. Memories of her past life suddenly didn't seem to matter. The people she once thought were her parents probably didn't even bother looking.

"_I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me... he made a different call_."

Her eyes flashed open when someone knocked on the door. She quickly shut down the computer and got dressed.

"Want to explain to me why SHIELD's data base was hacked?" Mira jumped when the door slid open in a menacing hiss. She whirled around to see Natasha standing there, eyes narrowed with annoyance. "Fury was practically screaming at me this morning," she added when Mira frowned in confusion.

Mira rubbed the back of her neck as she struggled to find the right words to say. Natasha and Clint were trained to kill. If given the orders, they would without hesitation. She had seen it already. And she wasn't about to become their next victim.

"Beck and I may have... looked at some of the files SHIELD had on the Grid," she explained warily.

"**I know I need to lift my eyes up, But I'm too weak, Life just won't let up, And I know that you can give me rest, So I cry out with all that I have left**..."

Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Fury's ready to cut someone's head off because of this," she muttered.

"Look, it was my idea." Mira found her hands trembling again. "I wanted to make sure that... Cyrus wasn't lying."

This time Natasha looked at her in surprise. "What did Cyrus tell you?" she asked.

"**I'm in way too deep, I've forgotten how to swim, I can't tell which way is up or down, Save me before I drown down here, I just need some air**..."

The music that Mira had been listening to earlier started playing in her head. She was pretty sure that if it had played any louder in her mind, Natasha would have heard it.

"He said that more programs might have gotten through the Portals," she lied. Playing spy with the spy. It was the safest option right now. She couldn't exactly tell Natasha or Clint what she had seen on those files. Something told her they weren't ready for the truth either.

"As far as we were told, he's the only other program out there." Another sigh of frustration followed.

_I wonder if that's a lie_? Mira wondered as Natasha looked over her shoulder.

"Anyone up for breakfast?" Mira's shoulders sagged in relief when Tony broke Natasha from her interrogation. She quickly pushed her way past Natasha, thankful to have some excuse of getting away. "Man, you look like you've been through hell."

Mira rolled her eyes when she reached the kitchen. She suppressed her own sigh of frustration when she realized that he was right. She looked at her reflection on the stainless steel fridge. Her hair was a mess, and she looked like she hardly had any sleep.

"Wonderful. One more thing to worry about," she grumbled.

"Hope you're in the mood for waffles and pancakes," Tony said cheerfully. "I may not be much of a cook, but this is better than nothing," he added after passing a plate.

"Hm, something smells good." Steve walked into the room shortly after, eyes brightening when he noticed the food Tony had prepared for everyone. "So I hate to ask, but what's it like being on the Grid?" His question caught Mira by surprise.

_Can't blame him for his curiosity_, she guessed.

"There's no sun to begin with," she explained. "If Clu wasn't the ruler, maybe there would be peace throughout the cities."

Mira found herself smiling at the memories of meeting Tron for the first time. He had become more than a mentor by the time she left Argon City. The only reason she had left was because she wanted to fight Clu on her own. And look where that got her.

"I can't imagine not having a sunrise to wake up to," Steve murmured thoughtfully.

"I think that's what I miss the most," she admitted. "It was more difficult adjusting to life on the Grid than it was to this world."

Steve wasn't like the others. He was friendly and willing to talk. And he wasn't too sympathetic when he noticed her scars for the first time.

"Isn't anyone else coming down?" Tony's question was answered with the sound of footsteps. Mira held back a grin when she saw how troubled Beck looked. She wondered if he had had a similar conversation with Clint or Natasha earlier.

"It smells good," he said after sitting between Steve and Mira.

"Glad to hear it, cause you're having the rest," Tony muttered. He passed a plate over before finishing his own breakfast.

Steve followed Tony out of the room once they were finished eating. Looked like Natasha and Clint weren't joining them. For once, Mira was thankful not to see their faces. She wasn't sure if she could look at them the same after the dreams she'd had.

"What did they tell you?" she asked under her breath.

"Not much, aside from the usual death threats," Beck replied. He grinned at her sheepishly as he pulled out the tool Bodhi had made. "I told them the files were already hacked into before we got them."

"Duh, why didn't I think of that?" She grinned back and swallowed the last of her meal.

"Well Clint was ready to shoot me when I had to think of what to say." Beck's voice was a bit shaky when he said that.

Mira's blood suddenly ran cold. She found herself strapped in a room surrounded by dark walls. Someone was sitting beside her, speaking in a gentle and worried voice.

"_Clint, you're gonna be alright. You need to flush him out_."

The words sounded strangely caring. Mira's heart began to race when she realized it was Natasha speaking again.

"_Why am I back? How'd you get him out_?"

"_Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard in the head_."

"Are you alright?" Mira blinked when Beck shook her a little.

She didn't even notice the tears rolling down her cheeks. Without warning Beck pulled her close, still unsure what to do in a situation like this. For once she didn't complain. It was slightly comforting to know there was someone who cared.

"Beck, I'm scared," she finally admitted. "I don't know what to do."

"What are you talking about?" Beck finally locked gazes with her as she tried fighting back the tears.

"I've been having these nightmares... about them," she replied. "They feel so real... like I'm right there with them. I've watched them _kill_!" The word sounded ugly. Even on the Grid she had never derezzed or killed another program.

"When did this start?" She was surprised by the softness of Beck's voice. Unlike Tron, he knew how to comfort someone. She was thankful that Tron's stern and serious attitude hadn't rubbed off on Beck.

"Last night." She explained the nightmares she had. Each time she tried sleeping again, they would continue. It was like watching a horror movie play out. But what bothered her more than anything was how they handled the situation.

Each victim had been treated almost cruelly. They'd become SHIELD's latest target. Soon after they would disappear, only to be found by SHIELD's top assassins. Their faces had no emotions with each victim they took down.

"Maybe the file was wrong." Again he was trying to sound reassuring. And Mira almost wished that he was right.

"Told you they were lying." The hair along Mira's neck stood on end. She restrained the urge to glare at Clint as he leaned against the doorway. Natasha had her hands on her hips, looking more annoyed than ever now, if that were possible. "So the files were already hacked?" Clint glared at Beck as he glared back.

"Enough," Natasha snapped. "We need to talk, privately." She looked crossly at Beck.

_I swear if you hurt him you'll regret it_, Mira thought as she glared back.

"Look, we're not going to hurt you." Mira raised an eyebrow in surprise when Clint said that. He looked just as serious as Natasha.

"I'll be fine," she sighed when Beck finally looked back at her.

Beck finally stood up before giving her another hug. "Don't take too long," he whispered.

"I won't." She watched him leave as Natasha and Clint stepped aside. Judging by their expressions, this wasn't going to be a fun conversation. As if this day couldn't get any worse.

* * *

**AN: So yeah... all of those words in italics are quotes from the movie. Which means I don't own them in any way. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in a review :)**

**Lyrics are from Losing by Tenth Avenue North, Worn by Tenth Avenue North, and Coming Up To Breathe by MercyMe. All great songs :P**

**End of Line**


	13. The Secret's Revealed

**AN: This is what happens when I watch the Avengers and Tron: Uprising too many times XD Lots of ideas flowing in my mind right now. Thanks to PrincessKai317 and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are amazing :D**

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**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Secret's Revealed**

".._.Thanks. Tasha, how many agents did I_-" _Natasha stopped Clint before he could continue the question_.

"_Don't do that to yourself Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic, and something we weren't trained for_."

"Would you quit that already?" Mira flinched when Clint spoke up. She looked up to see that his eyes were dull with pain and anger.

"I can't stop it," she replied. She tried to keep her voice steady like Natasha had. "They keep... attacking me."

_Like the nightmares when Cyrus had attacked us_, she realized.

"What you saw were memories of our past," Natasha explained. Even she sounded tired as she sat down beside Mira. Despite the fear of getting shot, Mira stayed put. Running wasn't an option at this point. "Somehow when your friend hacked into SHIELD's data base, you absorbed the files that they kept hidden."

Mira finally found the courage to look up at Natasha. "But why just your memories?" She had seen the files SHIELD kept on Flynn and the Grid. It didn't make any sense.

Clint and Natasha exchanged looks. Mira's eyes narrowed as she thought of where this was going.

"You read the file," Clint finally replied. "What exactly did it say?"

"Maria Rose... Barton." Silence followed. "The file said that I was adopted as a baby."

She almost wished that one of them had said something. But instead that same uneasy silence filled the room.

"_Well, if I put an arrow through Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose_."

"That night after Budapest... That's why you left so early," Clint finally broke the silence, causing Mira to jump in surprise.

"Look, we both agreed that if we ever had a child they wouldn't be safe," Natasha explained. "After our last mission, I went off the grid for a while. Director Fury already knew the truth, but he was willing to keep it a secret." She paused and glanced at Mira, whose eyes were narrowed as she listened. "Giving you up... it was the hardest thing I ever had to do," she admitted. "But I knew that it was the right choice."

Mira bit the bottom of her lip as she thought over everything that had happened. She had a feeling that Natasha was telling the truth. As much as she hated to admit it, they really did care. They just didn't have a good way of showing it.

"So what now?" she asked warily. "That doesn't explain how I'm able to see your memories."

"_Now you sound like you_."

"_But you don't. You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war_... _why_? _What did Loki do to you_?"

_This war had taken an emotional toll on them both_. _Natasha actually looked_ nervous.

"_He didn't_... _I just_-" _Clint cut her off and squeezed her hand gently_.

"_Natasha_."

"_I've been compromised. I've got red on my ledger, and I'd like to wipe it out_."

"There has to be a way to keep this from happening," Clint suddenly broke the uneasy silence. Mira flinched when she realized that they must have seen the memories as well.

Another memory suddenly struck Mira's thoughts. A memory she'd rather have kept under lock and key.

_The Grid stretched before her, with Cyrus standing in front of her. Able and Tron were with her, eyes narrowed with rage as he held up his disk. Mira felt her heart nearly skip a beat when she realized that this wasn't just a memory._

_"You really think you can stop me?" he demanded as Able held the device that had become his prison._

_"Last chance Cyrus," Tron snapped. "You don't have to do this."_

_His mouth twisted in a sly grin as Cyrus lunged forward. Tron simply stepped aside as Able pushed the button. Cyrus's eyes widened when he stumbled into the compressed space. When he turned back there was no way out._

_"You realize that this won't hold him forever," Able said once they hid the device as far away as possible. A ditch that was surrounded by storms. Gallium was infamous for generating storms. This was the perfect way of keeping the prison concealed._

_"Hopefully by than Clu will have been taken down," Tron replied. Mira looked at him in surprise when she saw grief in his eyes. She had never actually seen him show any signs of sympathy_.

Mira blinked when someone tapped her shoulder. She was back in the room with Clint and Natasha. Both of them looked just as surprised as she had.

"What the heck was that?" Clint's question made her blink in confusion. It took her a few seconds to realize that they must have seen what she had seen. The vision had felt so real, just like the ones she had of Clint and Natasha. Had that been a memory of Cyrus's?

"Tron," she murmured. The pain she had felt when he was repurposed returned. If she had been there when he was dying... maybe she could have healed the code. "I could have done something to stop it," she whispered.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for things that can't be stopped." Mira frowned when she realized that she had said the same thing to Beck not too long ago. Had she really changed that much? "Maybe there's a reason you keep getting these... _visions_."

The visions had started after Beck hacked into SHIELD's database. But maybe there was another reason behind them. Maybe someone or something was trying to tell her where Cyrus was now.

"What if Cyrus is jumping between Portals?" Even though the Portals had been closed, it might be possible for him to open new ones. Maybe that was how he had kept his disk for so long.

"That would explain why we can't track him down," Clint muttered while rubbing the back of his neck.

If Cyrus was jumping between Portals, he could end up anywhere in the world. His code was difficult to track down. But not if one had the right tools.

"Look, I think we can save the parent talk for later," she murmured. It was still strange to consider SHIELD's top assassins as her parents. Maybe there was a better term she could use later on. "I'd rather deal with Cyrus, before this mess gets any worse."

As if her words had summoned the looming threat, an alarm sounded in the building. "Guys, we have a problem." Tony's voice sounded over the speakers. His usual carefree tone was gone, replaced with worry and fear.

Mira held back a sigh of relief as she stood up. Saved by Tony, once again.

She left Natasha and Clint standing there, both looking rather confused and annoyed with Tony's announcement. The conversation in that room couldn't have gotten any more awkward. Seeing them as more than just SHIELD agents didn't help make things any easier.

Steve and Bruce were already in the living space while Tony turned on the television. Beck sat nearby on the couch, arms folded and eyes narrowed as if he was deep in thought. Mira stood nearby as she watched the screen flicker on.

"According to the latest stories, we have breaking news on the team known as the Avengers." A woman stood in front of a blue curtain, holding the mike steady in her hands as she spoke. Her wavy blonde hair seemed to stand out along with the overuse of makeup she had on. "Last night I received word that they have new recruits, one of which isn't even from this world."

"Well, this just got more interesting," Bruce muttered as she went on about how the source was leaked.

"And that's not even the juiciest story I've gotten," the woman continued after a moment of silence followed. "According to the news leak, one of the new recruits is-" The screen suddenly went blank.

That one moment of relief Mira had felt earlier? Gone. Now everyone was sharing looks of confusion. Mira smirked when she realized that Natasha and Clint had joined them after Tony turned on the news. And moments later Natasha's phone began to ring, followed by Clint's.

"Something tells me the world wasn't supposed to hear that." Steve winced when they all heard the shouting that followed.

Clint threw his phone on the couch beside Beck, who jumped at the noise that followed. Natasha only frowned and hung up on Director Fury. The expression on everyone's faces? Priceless.

"Okay, now I'm really curious. You never hang up on Fury." The smugness in Tony's voice was enough to make Mira flinch.

_This should be interesting_, Mira thought as she waited for their responses. She couldn't help but wonder whether or not they would actually tell the truth. Or wait for their team to find out the hard way.

"They're gonna find out one way or another," Clint muttered with a shrug.

After the phone on the sofa finally died, Beck joined Mira as Natasha let out another sigh.

"Mira is... actually our daughter," she explained after the room became eerily silent. Dead silence filled the room. Mira was pretty sure that she could hear a fly buzzing around somewhere. Suddenly Tony burst out laughing, causing Steve and Bruce to jump in surprise.

"You can't possibly be serious." His laughter was cut short by Bruce, who jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Steve demanded. He folded his arms and looked back at Mira, who refused to meet their already shocked gazes.

"Honestly... until this morning _we_ didn't even know," Natasha admitted.

"So SHIELD kept you in the dark," Steve muttered.

"As far as we can tell." Mira didn't miss the bitterness in Clint's voice. Clearly SHIELD had done this more than once to them. She was beginning to wonder why they still even worked for SHIELD.

"Looks like you two have a lot of catching up to do," Tony said with a smirk. Again Bruce jabbed him in the ribs. Mira grinned when Tony stuck his tongue out at Bruce.

She wished she could share his confidence. But everything was different now. She wasn't sure whether or not this was even real. Maybe if she was lucky this would just end up as another bad dream. But she doubted that would happen.

* * *

**AN: Yep, this is definitely turning into one of my favorites story-wise. And don't worry, Cyrus isn't going to be quiet for too long. Unfortunately he doesn't appear for another few chapters, but... that's just me :P Anywho, please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**

**PS: I don't own the lines from the movie. Wish I did, but I don't.**

**End of Line**


	14. Avoiding The Inevitable

**AN: Here's the next chapter :D I'm about three chapters ahead at this point. Loving where this story is going, and like I said earlier, I have way too many ideas for my own good XD Thanks to 2theSky, Sunofaia and PrincessKai317 for your awesome reviews! Enjoy :)**

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**Chapter Fourteen**

**Avoiding The Inevitable**

Rinzler was curled up on her bed when Mira returned to her room. Fast asleep and oblivious to the world. She almost wished she could feel the same way. He had no idea how lucky he was not to know who his real parents were. If he had any, that was.

"Cyrus has been a little too quiet lately," she muttered as she sat at the end of her bed.

"He'll show up sooner or later," Beck replied with the slightest of smirks. "He is a program of habit." He leaned against the wall by her door, observing the bright colors she had chosen after Tony offered to paint the rooms.

Mira was surprised that Tony was being so... generous. After all, they were pretty much crashing in his place for nothing. From what she had learned, living in someone's place meant that there had to be some kind of payment. She had worked for her apartment in Tron City.

Her walls had been painted a warm purple color. Not dark or ominous like certain shades could be. And the bedding she had picked out were a grayish shade of white. According to Tony, it was the best way to make the sheets look clean. White and black were not the best choices.

"So you really think he's jumping through Portals?" Beck's question made Mira look at him in surprise.

For the last few days she had been fumbling around through the files, trying to figure things out. But try as she might, Director Fury had altered the codes. Now it was almost impossible for them to hack into SHIELD's system. At least not without getting caught.

"It's possible he's using his disk," she replied. "I've been looking for any records that lead to the energy that SHIELD read when we arrived. They have nothing."

"Knowing Cyrus he could be standing in this room." Mira grinned and threw a pillow at him, partly hoping that he wasn't right. Cyrus really could be that devious. Beck caught the pillow and smirked. "You know you can't hide in here forever," he added after throwing the pillow back on the bed.

"I know," she murmured. "I just... haven't figured out what to say to them."

Beck frowned and sat down beside her, causing the bed to jump a little. Rinzler finally looked up at them in annoyance before finding a more comfortable spot on her pillow.

"I'm not exactly sure how to handle a situation like this," he admitted. "But maybe talking to them is the best option." Beck did have a point about confronting them. Since their last conversation, Mira had been making a point to avoid them at all costs.

"That's not easy to do," she sighed. "You don't know what it's like to discover that your parents are fully trained assassins."

"Yeah well, being trained by the greatest hero on the Grid doesn't help with that one." Mira laughed when Beck tried to impersonate Tron's facial expression. In a way Tron was similar to Clint and Natasha. But Tron had always fought to protect those weaker than Clu or anyone that opposed Flynn. That was why Mira had looked up to him, and she guessed that was why Beck had looked up to him.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to train a bit." Maybe it would help take her mind off of everything that had happened.

Beck's smirk told her that he was thinking the same thing. Tony had given them permission to use the gym that he had on the lower level. The gym was nicely laid out with all of the equipment they would need. And it was usually used by Steve, who kept saying that training kept his mind sharp and his body fit. Hopefully Natasha or Clint wouldn't be joining him. Mira found herself hoping that neither of them would show up.

She led the way down to the gym, and was thankful to find that it was empty. Beck followed her into the center ring, eyes brimming with excitement for the first time in days. It was difficult to find some alone time with the Avengers watching their every move.

"The usual I presume?" Mira raised an eyebrow when Beck smirked in response.

Having a sparring partner made training much more enjoyable. Mira quickly flipped back when he tried striking at her weak points. She swung back with her fist, jabbing him in the arm and in the rib. Beck managed to sneak in a few blows before blocking her attacks.

Their moves were almost in sync. Mira swung to the left and dodged another blow, while Beck blocked her own attack. She performed a back flip on her hand as he swung his leg to trip her. When she landed the breath was almost knocked out of her.

"Okay, I give." Beck's grin grew wider when she had him pinned to the floor.

"Oh really?" Her smile turned into a sly grin. "Which program said that from now on, we protect each other?"

She helped Beck up after his smug expression turned into a fit of laughter. "Okay, I'll get you for that."

"Having fun?" Mira whirled around just in time to see Clint standing at the entrance, arms folded as he looked between her and Beck.

"We were just training," Mira explained warily.

"Looked to me like it was more than just training." It took Mira a few seconds to realize that he wasn't real serious. "We need to talk." Mira flinched at the tone and glanced at Beck, who simply shrugged in response.

"You'll be fine," Beck whispered. He patted her on the shoulder before stepping out of the gym.

Mira would have punched him back if he hadn't left so quickly. Being left alone with the person she'd been avoiding for the past few days was not part of her agenda.

"Look, I know this isn't easy for you so let's just get to the point," she muttered. Clint raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I don't exactly know what to say... you're both master assassins and I doubt having a kid was part of your plan."

"I was expecting you to say something like that," he replied with a shrug. Mira narrowed her eyes as she wondered where this was going. "You definitely have Widow's attitude, I'll give you that."

"Are you always this cocky and annoying?" Mira snapped.

"It's part of my charm." She smirked when he struggled not to laugh at her expression. "Look, reliving those memories wasn't exactly a walk in the park... for all of us." Mira flinched; she knew that he was referring to her past on the Grid. "Being a parent isn't something we were trained for. But maybe we could start over."

She looked at Clint skeptically, unsure how to respond. Of all the things she had expected to hear from one of SHIELD's toughest agents, this was the least. And of course, now he was ruffling the back of his hair in embarrassment.

"Beck and Tron were more like family to me than anything else," she explained. "But it would be nice to have a real family, even if this might not work out."

_How can I forgive them for what they've done_? She had a feeling that she had forgiven them the moment she found out the truth.

"Good, 'cause something tells me this fight is far from over." Mira held back a sigh of frustration.

He was right about that. Cyrus wouldn't give up on them until they were miserable. It was his goal in life to make sure that the world turned against them.

"You have no idea just how dangerous Cyrus is," she said under her breath. Already he had claimed lives, lives that could not be replaced. From the news reports she had read before the last few crazy days, he had attacked LA more than once.

"We've had worse." Mira frowned when he suddenly looked at her seriously again. "Tony and Bruce want to find out why you've been having these visions," he added. "They might have something to do with why Cyrus hasn't attacked yet."

"Wonderful, yet one more thing to worry about." She rolled her eyes at the thought. It would be nice to find out why she kept having those nightmares. They weren't as frequent as they had been, but they were still there.

"Be glad it isn't SHIELD watching your every move." Again she rolled her eyes at the remark. She had a feeling that SHIELD would be watching her every move once this was over. "Come on, Tony's waiting for you."

With another sigh of frustration, she followed him out of the room, thankful to get away from the awkward conversation. It was better to get this done and over with than wait. If their theory was right, than maybe there was a way to stop the nightmares.

They reached the lab in a matter of minutes. Inside Tony and Bruce were watching the monitors carefully. Bruce kept an eye on one screen while Tony typed away on the table nearby, with another monitor overlooking the glass keyboard.

"Well if it isn't our favorite program!" Mira narrowed her eyes as Tony clasped his hands together.

"Yeah, right." She rubbed her arms in embarrassment.

Bruce finally looked up from his work and approached them after taking off his glasses. "Hopefully this won't take too long," he said in a quiet voice.

Mira looked at him in surprise. He was nothing like the Hulk. Steve had shown her the files of Bruce using the serum he had created on himself. The experiment had ended badly, according to some sources. Others claimed that it was a miracle he had survived at all.

"How exactly do you plan on finding out what happened?" Mira demanded.

"We'll have to run a few scans and tests to find out whether or not your system's infected," Bruce explained.

"What do you mean by infected?" Clint asked warily.

"Anything from radiation to gamma poisoning. Maybe she absorbed some of the code that's infecting Cyrus during that fight," Tony replied.

She hadn't even thought of that. Whatever was infecting Cyrus could be some kind of virus. Since she had lived on the Grid for so long, she had seen how viruses behaved. And Cyrus showed all of the signs of becoming one.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt," Bruce tried to sound reassuring when he noticed Mira's face had paled.

"You know what, I don't care if it hurts," she muttered. "If it's a virus, I want it out." Especially after the rumors she had heard of Abraxas. The virus that had infected him resulted in his deresolution. Only thanks to the help of an unknown program had he been stopped.

And like that unknown program, she would make sure that Cyrus was stopped. Even if it meant risking her life.

* * *

**AN: Another mention of Evolution. Abraxas was a virus, and Anon defeated him. Unfortunately I haven't played the entire game; I only just watched a few videos on it. But I've learned enough that I should be right (hopefully I am Oo). Next chapter will likely be posted tomorrow or even tonight!**

**End of Line**


	15. The Virus

**AN: So here's the double update I promised. Couldn't resist :P Thanks to 2theSky for reviewing! You're awesome ;)**

**"Just know that we'll be friends, for the rest of our lives" - Benjamen, Sanctus Real**

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**Chapter Fifteen**

**The Virus**

It felt like they were in the lab for hours. In reality, it had only been a half hour. Tony and Bruce kept switching monitors while Mira waited as patiently as she could for them to finish. After another thirty minutes went by, they finally came to a conclusion. And it wasn't a good one.

"From what it looks like, the cut that Cyrus gave you has some of the coding from his disk," Bruce explained after glancing at the monitor for another few minutes.

"What does that mean?" Dread washed over Mira as she thought of the answer that would follow.

"It means that the virus will slowly kill you," Tony replied. "And it isn't going to be a painless kill either."

"Is there a way to cure it?" Mira was surprised that Clint had stayed with them the entire time. Until now he had been pacing near the back of the room after Tony told him to go away. She held back a sigh of frustration when Tony looked at Bruce thoughtfully.

"There might be... but it's not going to be easy," Bruce replied. "We'll need the source of the virus before we can find a cure."

_Wonderful_... _just plain wonderful_. Mira felt her stomach twist with anger. She didn't enjoy the idea of having to rely on Cyrus for help. And she doubted he was in any hurry to give himself up.

"No." Clint's voice was firm and steady.

"Told ya he'd say no," Tony said with the slightest of chagrins. "Look, we may not need Cyrus, not if I can finish that experiment I've been working on," he added when Mira glared at him. "You had healing abilities on the Grid, right?"

Mira raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn't even thought of returning to the Grid, if that were possible. The Portals were shut down as far as she was concerned. Cyrus was the only one capable of opening them with his damaged disk.

"Is it possible we could get back to the Grid?" The anger she had felt earlier was suddenly replaced with hope. Maybe the Clu had finally been taken down. Maybe somehow, they could get back home. Mira could imagine just how happy Beck would be seeing his friends again.

"Through Flynn's arcade." Mira frowned at the thought of returning to the city she had grown up in.

"SHIELD has it under lock and key," Clint replied. "We won't be going there any time soon."

"I'm not sure going back there is an option anyways," she murmured. She looked down at the floor, wondering if the people that had adopted her had given up looking for her. If they had than the news that was leaked would be more than just shocking.

The looks she received told her that she was right. Besides, she didn't need to go back. As far as she was concerned now, the past was behind her. It was time to start looking to the future, as much as she hated to admit it.

. . .

"So where's Natasha?" Mira was still rubbing her arm where the bandage was wrapped. She had followed Clint to the living space, where they found Beck and Steve playing a game of Chess. Mira blinked in surprise when she saw that Beck was actually winning this time.

"Dealing with Fury right now," Clint replied. "He's not exactly happy with the latest news."

_I can imagine_, Mira thought. She was surprised the public wasn't ready to tear down Tony's door. From the stories she had seen on television, most people weren't happy with the latest news leak. A few had even come up with their own theories. But for the most part, Mira did her best to ignore the situation and focus on finding Cyrus.

"I know this isn't exactly an easy question to answer but... what happened when Loki tried taking over?" She didn't miss him wincing at the uneasy subject. They had reached the end of the living space, and Mira tried avoiding meeting his gaze as he struggled to find an answer.

"You read the file on the Tesseract?" Clint pinched the bridge of his nose when she nodded. Apparently it had some kind of energy that gave Loki the power he needed to start the war. But that was about as far as she had gotten before giving up on the file. "I was assigned to watching the energy levels. Make sure nothing dangerous got through the portal. And Loki... let's just say things didn't end well when he showed up."

From what she had seen of the visions, Loki had taken over his mind. Mira's eyes widened when she realized just how similar that was to getting repurposed.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "That must have been tough."

"Not as difficult as dealing with the Grid, I'd imagine." Mira grinned at the remark. He had no idea how right he was.

"The Grid isn't entirely dangerous," she replied. "It only got bad when Clu came into power."

She had to admit that even before Clu had risen to power, the Grid was still dangerous. Viruses and gridbugs were a constant threat. Tron and his group had always kept them in check. Flynn had even created his own security program to deal with the problems.

Mira was thankful to be left alone as Clint's phone began to ring. She had a feeling that Natasha or Director Fury were trying to reach him. Beck and Steve finished their game of chess, with Steve giving up. Beck's grin of triumph was priceless; Mira almost wished she had a camera.

"So what exactly happened?" Moments later and they were back in her room. Rinzler was chasing the laser pointer Mira had found in her dresser. He kept pouncing on the tiny light, sure that he could catch it with his claws.

"Well, long story short... we had some quality time." Mira bit the bottom of her lip.

She wasn't sure if telling Beck about the virus was a wise idea. They were under enough stress as it was thanks to Cyrus.

"Is that all that happened?" Beck raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Shoot. Beck knew her well enough to know that something wasn't right. Mira gazed up at the ceiling and thought of what to say next. Obviously lying wasn't the best option. But telling the truth would only make him worry.

"We were trying to figure out the effects Cyrus's disk has on wounds," she explained nervously. "From what it looks like, the end results aren't... good."

She winced when Beck's eyes widened in panic. Obviously he had not forgotten the cut on her arm left by Cyrus's disk. For a while the room was left in an awkward silence, and Mira almost wished that Beck would actually say something.

"That means you're..." Beck's words were cut short when he finally understood what that meant.

"Beck, I know what's going to happen," she finally said. "Without an anti-virus or healing abilities, it's impossible for anyone to survive."

_It would be possible if we were on the Grid_, she thought bitterly. But there was no going back to that. Not unless Tony had magically transported all of Flynn's work to his system.

"I don't know what to say." Rinzler finally seemed to notice the tension that filled the room. He jumped onto the bed and sat between them, licking the back of his paw as if nothing was wrong. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Strangely, I'm not," she admitted. She rubbed the back of Rinzler's ears as she thought of the close deaths she'd had. The only time she had been truly terrified was when she had faced the real Rinzler. "I suppose I'm just worried about what _they'll_ say."

Natasha probably already knew what was going on. Clint still had that steely gaze of his, but even he was worried. She wondered how many close calls they had had. One thing was certain: She definitely didn't want to become a master assassin. She was happy to just be alive for now.

"So that's it? After everything we've been through together?" Mira looked at Beck in surprise. "You're just giving up?"

"Who said anything about giving up?" she scoffed. Beck finally locked gazes with her, eyes dark with worry and fear. She suddenly wished there was a way to comfort him, but at this point there wasn't much she could do. "Now you're starting to sound like Tron," she added halfheartedly.

Leave it to Beck to worry over a User like this. Tron had acted the same way, believing she couldn't take care of herself. Maybe Tron had a point in saying she tended to get into stupid situations. Like the fight against Cyrus.

"Sorry. I just..." Beck looked away, and Mira suddenly realized that he couldn't bring himself to finish what he was about to say. She smiled and grabbed his hand, thankful for the support he had offered all this time.

"Everything will be fine," she murmured.

She really hoped that everything would be fine. It was a selfish thought, but she couldn't imagine Beck surviving in this world on his own. He needed someone to look after him. Just like she needed someone to look after her.

. . .

Natasha frowned as she watched the video play out. The cameras that were strategically placed throughout Stark Tower were finally working. Had to pull a few strings with Tony of course, who wasn't the least bit thrilled with the idea. But after a few arguments here and there, Tony finally agreed that it was a good idea to keep an eye on Mira and Beck.

"Those two are an accident waiting to happen." Natasha whipped around to see agent Hill watching the video as well, eyes narrowed as she watched the scene play out. "It's obvious they care for one another," she added when she realized that Natasha was glaring at her.

"Any word on Cyrus?" Becoming over protective wasn't something that Natasha was ready for. Knowing that her daughter was alive had changed everything. And Fury was doing everything in his power to ensure that Cyrus was found and captured.

"The files he hacked into have been erased," agent Hill replied. "The only scans we have were from New York City."

That wasn't much of a clue. From what SHIELD had discovered, Cyrus was capable of jumping between Portals. His disk was the key to opening those Portals.

"Looks like we've got a lead." Director Fury finally joined them after giving Clint a call. "The latest energy reading is coming from Central Park. Cyrus hasn't gotten very far if he's trying to escape. Agent Romanoff, you know what to do." He glanced at Natasha, who nodded in response.

"Already on it," she replied before heading for the landing deck. It was a relief to get away from the hellicarrier for the first time in days. And this was one fight that Natasha was actually looking forward to. It was time to put this threat to an end, before it had a chance of getting worse.

* * *

**AN: So yeah... Cyrus finally sort of makes an appearance after being absent for like, four chapters straight. You'll get to see what happens next tomorrow :P And I thought that line from an awesome song was very fitting. Love Sanctus Real's music.**

**End of Line**


	16. The Hellicarrier

**Thank you 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing. You guys are awesome! :D**

_Well I need You, You need me, Cuz that's the way, It's meant to be, I need You, We need each other - We Need Each Other, Sanctus Real_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

**The Hellicarrier**

"Sir, what happens when this is over?" Maria glanced at Director Fury as he kept an eye on the screens. They were back on the bridge while agents fumbled around to keep an eye on Central Park. If this went south the team would need to be called in, quickly.

"The child has the potential of becoming SHIELD's top agent," he replied. He looked out the window thoughtfully. She had Romanoff's fighting skills. Perhaps living on the Grid had given her these skills.

"You expect her to give up the life she once had?" Maria raised an eyebrow at the question.

Somehow she didn't expect them to join SHIELD quietly. Even if the girl's parents were master assassins.

"We'll see what happens." Maria wasn't surprised to see the slightest of smirks forming when he said that. Hopefully that didn't mean what she thought it meant.

. . .

The park had been cleared as soon as the aircraft landed. Natasha wasn't surprised to see Cyrus already waiting for her. He lifted the cloak that concealed his face. White lines could be made out; they glowed in an almost eerie way.

She stepped out of the helicopter just as Cyrus began to approach. Wind swept past them, causing the cloak Cyrus had on to sway slightly.

"I had a feeling you would show up alone," he sneered.

"Intimidating me isn't going to work," she retorted. The guns strapped along her waste were locked and loaded. In case that didn't work, she kept a dagger strapped to her waste as well. She was more than ready for this fight.

"You Users are just as weak as I heard. Weak at concealing your emotions, and fighting back."

Natasha simply rolled her eyes at the useless babble. She raised her gun, ready to fire when he reached for his disk. It was than that she noticed something was wrong with his disk. He never activated it. Only glared as he lunged forward.

She grabbed him by the wrist and flipped him onto his back. Cyrus grunted in pain when she heard the sickening thud. Her eyes widened when she saw strange cubes leaking from a cut on his leg. The Hulk had damaged him, just not enough to crush him.

"You think you can stop me?" His eyes suddenly flashed a blinding white. She jumped back as smoke fumed from his body. In a matter of seconds a gaping hole appeared where the explosion had shaken the ground.

Cyrus was still laying there, body trembling as he struggled to stand. Natasha grimaced when she realized that he was more than just badly injured. The explosions were taking their toll on him.

"You're dying," she concluded after observing the nasty markings on his body. The stripes were no longer glowing. His skin was paler than ever, and the cubes that she had seen earlier were beginning to cover the ground.

"No, I'm not finished!" he screamed. It was a scream of agony.

With a sigh of frustration, Natasha grabbed a stun gun and aimed it at him. Cyrus's eyes widened as a jolting shock coursed through his body. Moments later he fell to the ground, losing consciousness. The cubes had finally stopped falling, leaving Natasha more confused than ever.

"Sir, the enemy has been detained," she announced through her earpiece.

"Well done, Agent Romanoff." Director Fury's voice was full of relief. It was time they finally had a good look at Cyrus's disk, to find out exactly what he was.

. . .

"Tell me again how this is supposed to be easy?" Mira groaned as she struggled to hold up the arrow.

Beck had spent the night in her room, and she was thankful for his company. But Clint was nearly ready to cut his head off when he found out. It took Mira a good hour to convince him that they hadn't even slept together.

Long story short, the only way to make it up was by learning a few new skills. Now they were in the gym, with Steve using the punching bag to take out some of that pent up energy he'd been hiding. Beck was with Tony and Bruce after Tony had mustered up the courage to ask him how the tool Bodhi had made worked.

Now Mira was struggling to keep the arrow aligned with the bow. She stepped to the other side and let it loose. To her surprise the arrow landed right above the target's center.

"Not bad." Clint was watching her like, well, his namesake. There was a reason he was known as the master marksmen.

"You make this look easy," she muttered.

"It gets easier with practice." Mira rolled her eyes and thought back to what she had learned on the Grid. It had taken cycles of training for her to defend herself.

"Hey guys, you might want to hear this." Once again Tony's voice sounded over the intercom. Steve stopped beating the crap out of the punching bag (he'd already gone through two before they arrived) and took off his gloves.

They reached the living space to see Tony, Bruce and Beck already waiting for them. Mira tried not to laugh when Beck avoided meeting her gaze. After his last encounter with Clint, he wasn't planning on making things worse.

"We're heading for the hellicarrier," Tony explained when Mira noticed the bag strapped to Bruce's shoulder. "Apparently Fury's been busy."

_What is that supposed to mean_? Mira didn't have the chance to find out. Questions started forming in her mind, from what a hellicarrier was to why everyone else seemed to know what was going on. Beck looked just as confused as to what was going on.

On the plus side, they didn't have to go outside and face the public. Only downside was, Mira had no idea where they were going. And to make things worse, it was raining. Thankfully they weren't outside for too long. Tony had already set up a plane to get them to their destination.

"Where exactly are we going?" Beck finally asked once they were inside the cramped space.

"You'll see." Steve's smirk told Mira that he was telling the truth. Tony had already left the building with his Iron Man suit. Knowing him he had already reached the hellicarrier.

In a matter of minutes they had finally reached what she guessed was their destination. Mira couldn't help but look out the small window in awe.

Floating above the city was a huge aircraft of some sort. It reminded Mira a bit of Tesler's ship, only more impressive and bigger. The impressive structure made her wonder how it could even fly.

The moment the plane landed was the moment Mira felt her stomach lurch. Memories suddenly came flooding back, but they weren't her memories.

_"You're dying." The words were quick and to the point._

_"What makes you think I'm dying?" The voice was familiar. It took her a few minutes to recognize it as Cyrus's voice._

_"I can help you... for a price." Silence followed the stranger's words. Finally, the sound of footsteps echoed along cold the cold hard floor of a building._

_"What's your price?"_

_"Your disk. All of those painful memories you have of your past... all of them will be wiped out. You won't be yourself."_

_"Just do it!"_

The pain that followed was excruciating. Mira gasped when she realized that the pain she felt was real. So real that it felt as though someone was slicing their disk down her stomach. Black spots were beginning to cloud her vision when she felt someone pulling her arm.

"Mira!" Her eyes widened when she realized that Beck was staring at her in alarm. She stared at him, panic beginning to take over. "What's happening to her?" Someone shoved him aside; Mira was pretty sure it was Clint.

"The virus is taking over," Bruce replied after realizing what had happened. That was the last thing she heard before blacking out.

. . .

"Get her inside, now!" The plane had finally landed. Time seemed to move painfully slow for them. Panic was something that Beck had learned to deal with since becoming the Renegade. But this was a different kind of fear.

Clint carried Mira while Steve and Bruce rushed ahead. The few agents that were outside stared at them in shock. By now the rain had finally stopped falling, but the floor was still slick.

Beck couldn't take his eyes off of her. She seemed so much smaller compared to Clint, who seemed to determined not to let her go as they walked in.

_Why start caring now_? he wondered bitterly. They had acted so cold towards them upon their first arrival. Maybe it was a habit Users had. Something that not even tough, heartless killers could hide. Even they had room for love, right?

"What happened?" Beck's eyes narrowed when finally reached the inside. Director Fury was nearly shoved aside by Clint, and Beck couldn't help but smirk when he noticed the Director's shocked expression.

"The virus is taking over," Bruce explained in an almost apologetic manner.

Beck wasted no time in reaching the others. They passed through several narrow hallways. A few agents that were on board had stopped to see what was going on. Others immediately went to work after noticing the new arrivals.

"Is she alright?" A new voice sounded when they finally stopped in a smaller room with a few beds placed along the wall. Beck was surprised at how gentle Clint was when he placed Mira down on one of the beds.

"Please tell me that Cyrus was captured." Beck raised an eyebrow when the young woman with long dirty blonde hair smirked.

"She's called our top agent for a reason," she replied. "Fitz already has a sample of his code ready, but the transfusion might take longer than we'd hoped to process."

"But it will work, right?" The woman jumped when Beck finally spoke up. Her eyes widened when she realized who he was.

"Judging my brilliant work are we?" His question was countered with another question. Beck narrowed his eyes when a User around the woman's age walked in. He stopped short after realizing that half of the Avengers were standing in the room, glaring.

"For your sake I hope you're right," Clint retorted.

The agent Beck assumed to be Fitz, stared at Clint in alarm before pulling out something from his lab coat. It looked like a device that was similar to the one Keller had used to change her appearance.

_Please let this work_, he silently prayed. He remembered hearing from somewhere that prayers were often answered in the strangest ways. All he could do was hope and pray that she survived this. After everything they _had_ been through together, he couldn't imagine his life without her.

* * *

**AN: So yeah. Fitz and Simmons are actually from the show Agents of SHIELD, if you haven't recognized them yet. Their my favorite characters so far from the show, next to Coulson of course :P Anywho, next chapter might be posted tonight depending on whether or not I can get to my laptop. Very busy today /=**

**End of Line**


	17. I'm Sorry

_Sweet darling you worry too much, my child, I see the sadness in your eyes, you are not alone in life, although you might think that you are - Our Farewell, Within Temptation_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

**I'm Sorry**

It was quiet inside the hellicarrier. Strange considering Tony was on board. Maybe the solemn atmosphere had finally shut him up for a change. But that silence wasn't going to last long now that Cyrus was coming to.

Sure enough his fists slammed against the unbreakable glass wall. Well, to put it bluntly, the wall had been cracked by Thor's hammer. Director Fury had finally decided to create a wall that couldn't be cut open or shot at. So try as he might, Cyrus wasn't getting out any time soon. Especially now that he had no disk to use as a weapon.

"I won't be locked in here forever!" he shouted as agents walked by. A few shot him curious, nervous looks as they returned to their jobs.

His hands dragged along the glass as he tried punching it again. The vibration that followed made his ears ring. Natasha folded her arms as she watched.

Mira and Beck were right about one thing. This 'program' was certainly psychotic. His eyes were wild with fear and hate. The circuits had finally stopped glowing, and his face was paler than ever. But he had survived.

"Does that thing have a mute button?" Tony finally asked. He was on the bridge, which in retrospect wasn't too far from the prison. "I think I liked Loki being our prisoner more than this," he added when Cyrus began throwing a few colorful words.

"He won't be in there for long," Director Fury reassured him. "Once everything is resolved, we'll be moving him to a more secure prison. One he can't get out of."

Natasha flinched at the mention of everything getting resolved. Clint had told her everything. The virus that had infected Mira was slowly killing her. Bruce and Tony had discovered it a few days ago, and it was already slowly taking over. It was the same virus that had nearly killed Cyrus.

"Ma'am, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but shouldn't you be with your..." Natasha narrowed her eyes when agent Jemma Simmons approached her.

Jemma was new, barely out of SHIELD Academy. But she was a brilliant scientist who had graduated alongside her partner Leo Fitz. Being part of this world was like a dream job for them.

"Call be agent Romanoff," she snapped when Simmons' face paled.

In truth, she had no idea how to act around Mira - her daughter. The word just sounded too strange. Clint had accepted the truth far better than she could have.

"I'm sorry," Simmons stuttered. "I just have to say, it's a huge honor to meet you in person."

"Most agents run as soon as they see me." Natasha had to laugh when Simmons smirked. She glanced over her shoulder to see the Cyrus had finally given up. Now he was leaning against the prison, still glaring at anyone that dared walked past. "Thank you, for helping her," she added under her breath.

"Saving lives is what we were trained for," Simmons replied. The pride in her voice was obvious. "She's responding well to the serum."

Natasha thanked her once more before heading for the infirmary. The dull gray walls didn't help much with the mood. Bruce and Steve were off somewhere in the hellicarrier, while Tony continued complaining about Cyrus and his obnoxious voice.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw Beck sitting beside the bed Mira had been placed on. He had not moved since they arrived. Natasha held back a sigh when he finally looked over his shoulder.

"You should get some sleep." It was obvious that he was exhausted.

"She's going to be fine, right?" His question caught her by surprise.

_Love is for children_. Those words kept ringing in her mind, but suddenly she understood just how difficult it was to keep those feelings at bay. Natasha bit the bottom of her lip before joining him. From the memories she had seen, they had been together for a long time. That kind of partnership was rare to come by these days.

"She'll be fine," she replied.

"It's not fair," Beck suddenly muttered. "I'm the one that let Cyrus out."

"Beck, you need to sleep." They really were a lot alike. Blaming themselves for the mistakes they've made. "We're all keeping an eye on her," she added when he still didn't move. That was an understatement. The hidden cameras throughout the hellicarrier would be keeping an eye on all of them.

He looked like he was ready to argue when he thought better of it. Glancing one last time at Mira, Beck finally stood up and returned to the sleeping quarters. Agent Fitz took the opportunity to take a blood sample while he could. Knowing Beck he'd been watching them like a hawk.

"They really are fascinating," he commented after observing the tablet he'd taken with him. "Cyrus's disk is like nothing we've ever seen. With that technology there's no telling what we can do."

Natasha rolled her eyes as he backed out of the room, half embarrassed that he'd just said such a thing. True, technology could always lead to good things. But in the end people often used it against one another.

She glanced back at Mira once she was left alone. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "I'm not exactly trained to be a mother."

But maybe it was time to try. It was time to stop running from the past. It was time to accept that some things were meant to be.

Carefully, she leaned forward and kissed Mira on the forehead. "You're everything I ever wanted," she whispered.

* * *

**AN: Not a very long chapter, but had to get it posted. Have I mentioned how much I love Within Temptation? Well, some of their music anyways. Our Farewell is a beautiful song. Highly recommend it :) Thanks to Briannajs-22, 2theSky, Sunofaia and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

**End of Line**


	18. Waking Up

_"Lead me with strong hands, stand up when I can't, don't leave me hungry for love, chasing dreams, what about us? Show me you're willing to fight, that I'm still the love of Your life, I know we call this, our home, but I still feel alone..." - LEAD ME, Sanctus Real_

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Waking Up**

Three days. It had been three days since they'd arrived at the hellicarrier. Three days since the virus took it's hold on Mira. And she still had not recovered. Simmons had said that it would take time for her system to respond, whatever that meant.

It was like watching a video in slow motion. She hadn't even moved since they arrived. According to Fitz she was in some kind of coma.

"I wish there was more I could for you," Beck sighed as he watched her. He never felt more helpless. If he could he would go through a hundred black guards to bring her back.

He brushed his hands across her hair, careful not to disturb her. Streaks of red were beginning to show through her mousy brown hair. Beck's eyes widened when he realized that she really did look just like Natasha. Same facial features and all. She looked... beautiful.

"I love you." The words had come out as a whisper. He didn't expect her to hear them. At that moment, he realized that he had no regrets following her through that Portal. No matter what happened, he would always love her.

. . .

Familiar faces appeared before Mira as she finally opened her eyes. The brilliant lights of the Grid stretched around her, illuminating them. She blinked several times to get a better view of each program. To her surprise, and alarm, they were programs from her past, or programs that Clu had derezzed.

But surrounding them were programs she assumed still lived.

"Am I back on the Grid?" She was surprised how quiet her voice was.

"No... not quite." Mira jumped when she heard an unfamiliar voice. She whirled around to see a dark figure standing behind her. The figure was wearing a cloak, similar to the one Cyrus had worn. Instinctively she reached for her disk, only to find that it was gone. "Don't worry, I'm not a threat."

"Who are you?" The voice sounded strangely familiar.

"Just call me the Creator." Mira felt her blood run cold. Kevin Flynn. Speaking to her in person? How was that even possible? From what she had heard, Flynn had either died or vanished into the User world. "I've been watching you for some time now... how you've helped all of those programs, even when they turned their backs on you. That took courage to fight back."

"Running away from my problems isn't exactly courage," she muttered crossly. Maybe if she had stayed, they could have fought back. Maybe they could have saved Tron and the rest of the Grid from Clu's reign.

"It never would have worked out," Flynn replied in a gentle voice. "You were meant to return and close those Portals. I wasn't strong enough to finish the task I had started." He paused to let this sink in. Mira raised an eyebrow to see where this was going. "I wanted to thank you, for saving the real world from Clu. If he had gotten through those Portals, there's no telling what would have happened."

_I think I know what would have happened_, Mira suddenly thought. Clu couldn't stand perfection. What world was more imperfect than the User world? He would have destroyed everything. And the world would not have been ready for the attack, even with the Avengers there to defend it.

"I'm glad to have helped," she murmured.

For the first time since reaching the User world, she finally felt at peace. All of the faces she had seen from her past began to dissolve. Only one face was left in the darkness, reminding her why she had left the Grid in the first place.

"I love you." Suddenly everything stopped moving. Mira blinked when she recognized the voice. The lights of the Grid suddenly vanished, and she realized that this was just a dream.

_Wake up_, she told herself. _Wake up_!

. . .

"**Every moment is a chance, to let Your light break through...**"

"She's coming to!" Pain stabbed at Mira's chest when she struggled to rise from whatever she was laying on. "Take it easy kid, you're not out of the dark just yet." Tony's voice. Typical.

"**This life (oh oh oh oh), this life was meant to shine**..."

"What happened?" she groaned.

"You were out cold for four days." Steve's voice. Mira began to wonder if the entire crew aboard the hellicarrier had stopped by. She cringed and opened her eyes.

To her surprise, Tony, Steve and Bruce had stepped in to keep an eye on her. Clint and Natasha were standing on the other side of the room, looking more than relieved.

"The pain's only temporary," Bruce explained when Mira struggled to straighten up again. "We managed to create a serum that took care of the virus that took hold of you." Mira raised an eyebrow as she wondered what he meant by 'we'.

"Tell us, are you feeling sadistic or psychotic?" Tony's question made her glare at him for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Of course not," she snapped. _Unless he considers snapping his head off for his attitude_, she added silently.

She yelped in surprise when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. It took her a few seconds to realize that despite the little training they had received on being parents, Clint and Natasha were finally hugging her.

"I'm so thankful that you're alright." Her eyes widened when Natasha whispered that.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with the Black Widow?" Since when did Natasha ever share feelings with anyone?

"That's what we've been wondering," Tony laughed when Natasha shot him an icy glare.

"Wait... where's Beck?" That voice she had heard in her dreams sounded familiar.

_I hope he didn't worry about me_, she thought.

She couldn't imagine how much panic he must have felt. The attack had happened so quickly. No one was prepared for it when they arrived at the hellicarrier. And now that she thought about it, she hadn't even noticed until now that was where she was.

"We kind of forced him to get some sleep," Steve replied after rubbing the back of his neck. "He wouldn't leave the room, not even to eat or drink."

Beck... he really did care too much. He had sacrificed everything by becoming the Renegade. And he knew the cost of choosing that life.

"What about Cyrus?" Mira frowned when she remembered that he was the one who carried the cure. Surely he wouldn't have been taken down without a fight?

"You can thank Romanoff for that one," Tony replied with a smirk. "Took him down like he was nothing."

Something told Mira that Cyrus wouldn't give up that easily. The fact that his disk had been modified to become a bomb showed just how determined he was. The memories before she had blacked out suddenly came rushing back.

Cyrus had somehow gotten himself injured in more ways than one. A program had offered to help him, but with a great cost. Since that encounter, Cyrus had begun to change. The code the mysterious program had given him was the very virus that had almost killed him.

"Will I be allowed to walk any time soon?" she asked after gripping her stomach to keep down the pain.

"Try resting a bit for the next couple of days," Bruce replied. "We'll run another test to make sure your blood is cleared of the virus cells that were infecting you."

Mira held back a groan of frustration. She had a feeling that by that time she'd be going stir-crazy. But Bruce was the doctor. She'd get out of here sooner if she actually listened to his advice.

"Thank you, for finding the cure," she murmured.

"Well I didn't exactly find the serum on my own," he admitted sheepishly. "Just make sure you get some rest, and you'll be back to your old self in no time."

"Can I have a radio or something if I'm going to be stuck here?" she asked.

"I'll see what we can pull out," Clint replied after stepping beside Natasha.

Mira thanked them as they headed out. Once she was alone she fell back onto the not-so-soft pillow. Even that motion caused a jolt of pain to course down her stomach. She couldn't wait for this pain to go away. And maybe find out whether or not she had heard right earlier.

* * *

**AN: So that's the next chapter. I know the little blurb about the 'Creator' was rather random, but it plays an important roll later on. So big thanks to PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You're awesome :D **

**Lyrics came from This Life by MercyMe.**

**End of Line**


	19. Long, Boring Recovery

_Sometimes I just want to start over, 'cause everything looks like a wreck, and I need the courage to carry on, 'cause I can't see what's ahead, and there are places, I've wished I could be, battles I've wanted to win, dreams that have slipped through my hands, I may never get back again - Redeemer, Sanctus Real_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Long, Boring Recovery**

"**It hasn't always been this way, I remember brighter days, before the dark ones came, stole my mind, wrapped my soul in chains. Now I live among the dead, fighting voices in my head, hoping someone hears me crying in the night, and carries me away. Set me free of the chains holding me, is anybody out there hearing me? Set me free.**.."

The music blared in Mira's room as she set the file on full blast. Casting Crowns. Great group with great, emotionally powerful music. She had a feeling anyone that heard this song would understand the meaning behind it.

Clint had thankfully found an iPad she could borrow while she was waiting for the all clear. And she found the music that she enjoyed listening to the most. Of course, now he probably regretted it from the music blasting through the supposedly soundproof walls.

She tapped on a different song, one she hadn't heard before.

"**The Light of the world was shining; the Light of the world was shining, He came just like He promised; His love would not be silent**..."

"Could that music be any louder?" She almost dropped the iPad when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Music tends to calm me down," she replied after looking up to see Beck grinning down at her.

"I can see that." Mira smirked before she placed the iPad on the stand beside her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, but my sides still hurt a little," she admitted.

She had been stuck in this blasted room for only a day, and she was already tired of it. Now that she was finally awake from the 'coma', as Bruce and Tony had called it, she wanted to explore the hellicarrier. Maybe she could find out why SHIELD needed such a large aircraft.

"They told me that you refused to leave," she added when an awkward silence hung in the air.

She didn't miss the embarrassment written all over Beck's face. "Yeah well... I just..." Mira rolled her eyes when he began to stammer. Eventually he just gave up and looked at her as if to apologize.

"Bitbrain," she murmured with the slightest of smirks. Beck ruffled the back of his hair. "You know, when I was out cold I remember hearing your voice," she admitted after looking away. When she was out cold. How many times had that happened throughout her life? Being knocked out by an enemy? She wasn't exactly keeping track.

"Mira, I'm glad to see you're awake." Mira flinched when she heard Beck sigh in relief. A woman with long dirty blonde hair stepped into the room, holding a syringe. "Dr. Banner asked me to take another blood sample, to make sure that you're body is cooperating with the anti-virus," she explained when Mira glared at the needle. "I'm Jemma Simmons by the way," she added.

"I'm assuming he doesn't want me to leave yet?" Jemma frowned as she took the blood sample.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "He's rather strict about keeping you here until we know for sure the virus is cleared."

She rolled her eyes at the response. This woman seemed friendly enough, but she was like any other SHIELD agent. Secretive as always.

Once Jemma left the room, looking rather proud of herself, Mira grabbed the iPad again. Might as well pass the time since she couldn't leave the room. Obviously Beck wasn't about to admit what he had said the other day.

"**The perfect words never crossed my mind, cause there was nothin' in there but you. I felt every ounce of me screaming out, but the sound was trapped deep in me. All I wanted just sped right past me, while I was rooted fast to the earth, I could be stuck here for a thousand years, without your arms to drag me out**..."

Mira frowned when she realized just how difficult this could get. Leaving Beck back on the Grid had been painful. She didn't want to admit that she had done it for his protection. Maybe it was more because she was afraid to admit her feelings.

_Why does this have to be so difficult_? she wondered.

She stared up at the dark ceiling, hoping that something or someone would give her an answer.

. . .

"You're free to go." Bruce was fumbling around with a wash clothe in his hands, smirking when Mira just stared at him in surprise.

"Seriously?" She almost wished she could leap with joy. Being stuck in a hospital bed was one thing, but this was worse. SHIELD agents watching your every move, making sure you didn't fumble around or make a mistake. She was getting tired of it. "Thank you!" Bruce looked at her in surprise when she gave him a hug.

"Just make sure you take it easy," he replied when she backed away. "Don't want any of those injuries coming back."

_Duh_, _I'm not about to spend more time in here_, she thought with a roll of her eyes. Now that she was free to go, she could finally explore this place.

Once Bruce left the room, she made her way down the many winding halls. A few agents were returning from their posts. Mira made a point to avoid their curious looks. She had no doubts they were wondering why someone her age was allowed on the hellicarrier in the first place.

After wandering down several flights of stairs, she finally reached what she guessed was the bridge. Large windows overlooked the outside world. She stared at the windows in shock when she realized that they were still up in the air.

"Hey kid, glad to see you're able to walk again." Mira resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Tony approached her.

"I thought we'd be heading back to the tower," she admitted warily.

"Yeah well, SHIELD needs to make sure your buddy Cyrus is sent to a secure prison," he replied.

A secure prison wasn't going to cut it. Mira hated admitting that he needed to be sent back to the Grid. There were no laws about derezzing a program. But she couldn't bring herself to saying that out loud. Derezzing, or killing for that matter, wasn't something she planned on doing anytime soon.

"Do you know where Beck is?" she asked after an awkward silence followed.

"Thought that might come up." Tony's smirk made her wish she could slap him. "He's in the meeting room with Widow and Hawkeye. And the Capsicle of course."

She rolled her eyes once again as she followed him to the room. Apparently Captain America, AKA Steve Rodgers, had been frozen in ice for over seventy years. The jokes that followed were mostly from Tony. But every now and than Clint or Bruce would make some kind of remark. She wondered how Steve could stand it.

Sure enough Tony was right. Clint and Natasha were sitting next to each other, while Beck and Steve sat on the other side of the table. Mira didn't miss the fact that Beck was avoiding her gaze, and she suddenly wish she could take back everything she had said.

_I wish there was an easier way to tell him_, she thought guiltily.

"So what's the story on Flynn?" Mira raised an eyebrow when she sat beside Natasha. Tony had asked the question as he sat near the end of the table, hands clasped together while he looked at the files that were spread across the table.

"He suddenly decided to take over Encom this morning," Natasha explained. "Sam Flynn," she added when she noticed Mira and Beck's confused expressions.

No wonder that name sounded so familiar. Mira remembered seeing him a few times at the arcade. He was Kevin Flynn's son. But at that time he had been younger. She imagined by now he was closer to Steve's age.

"So why is that such a big deal?" Mira asked.

"It happened out of the blue," Clint replied. "From the reports we've gotten, he didn't want anything to do with his father's company."

She could understand why Sam was so reluctant. She knew what it was like growing up without a family.

"That's not even the best part," Tony said with a smirk. "From what it looks like, Bradley was placed on top. And he has a girlfriend." Before Mira could ask what he meant by that, Natasha passed her the file that he'd been reading.

If she hadn't been sitting she might have fallen over in shock. "Quorra?" The ISO had finally found her way to freedom. "So this all happened overnight?"

"Pretty much," Steve muttered. "I have no idea what this is all about. This is way out of my league."

"Quorra is an old friend of mine," she explained. "She... saved me from the games."

Mira leaned against the back of her seat. Memories of the Grid came rushing back. Quorra had taken care of her when no one else would. She was the one that had taught her how to defend herself.

"We'll be seeing them soon," Natasha sighed. "Fury wants a full detailed report on them, and Flynn's experience on the Grid."

Wonderful. Mira had a feeling their encounter wasn't going to be a happy one. Alan had been less than happy to see Maria the day they had first arrived. But Mira couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing Quorra again. And this time her life wouldn't be in danger. For once, she was looking forward to spending time with her parents.

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**AN: Thought I'd run a double update since I'll be busy all day tomorrow. And have I mentioned how much I love the National Treasure? Got so many awesome quotes from that movie XD Thanks PrincessKai317 for reviewing! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter :D**

**Lyrics are from Set Me Free, Casting Crowns, Shining from Sanctus Real and Signal Fire by Snow Patrol**

**End of Line**


	20. Return To Encom Tower

_Yeah, I'm not alone, I realize, I breathe out, I come alive - Awake My Soul, Chris Tomlin_

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**Chapter Twenty**

**Return to Encom Tower**

Papers were spread out across the table as Mira sat down to join Director Fury and agent Hill in the meeting room. Beck sat beside her, looking rather uncomfortable as Director Fury passed down a file to Mira. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed that the file had her name written across it. "What's this for?" she asked.

"We were hoping that, under the circumstances, you would join SHIELD once this is over," Director Fury replied.

Mira had to stop herself from falling over, again. She understood that because of who her parents were, he wanted her to join. But it felt as though this was out of the blue. And now she knew why Director Fury had asked to see her alone.

She glanced at Beck, who looked even more uncomfortable as agent Hill rested her chin on her hands. "We don't send these files out too often," she explained. "Most of the residents on this ship are our best agents and scientists."

"So why was I called in?" Beck asked warily.

"Same reason," agent Hill replied with a shrug. "You've both shown skills that some of our top field experts have. And given your history, you might be eligible to join them."

She stared at the files again, slightly speechless. What should she do? Something like this obviously didn't random happen every day. And if she did join SHIELD, would she never have a normal life?

_Okay_, _maybe my life has never exactly been normal_, she realized. But still, she wasn't even sure what to make of this. And judging from the look on Director Fury's face, they wanted to know soon. Quietly she pushed back the files, unsure how to answer them at the moment.

"I... I think I need time to think about this," she murmured.

"That's understandable," Director Fury said. "We hope you make a decision soon."

Mira held back a sigh of relief when they left the room. In a few hours they were supposed to reach Los Angeles. After that, the meeting Mira had been looking forward to would finally take place. It had been a long time since she had last seen Quorra. And it would be nice to see her again.

"So what do you think about this?" Mira bit the bottom of her lip, hoping Beck would say something. Since she had woken up from her 'coma', he hadn't spoken to her. Was he really that afraid of her now that she was awake?

"I need to think about this," Beck finally said.

Dismay swept over Mira when he stood up and left the room. She glared at the files before following him out, only to nearly run into Natasha. The papers Natasha had been holding flew across the floor. Mira tried pushing back the embarrassment when Natasha smirked at her.

"Sorry!" she nearly squeaked. She immediately rushed in to help.

"You're jumpier than usual." Mira held back a sigh of frustration. Natasha raised an eyebrow when she finally locked gazes with her.

"Have you ever wished you could take something that you said back?" she asked. Knowing Natasha, that was a big yes.

"Many times," she replied after looking at the papers thoughtfully. "Something happened between you and Beck." She finally let out a sigh of frustration.

"Is it that obvious?" Maybe SHIELD had some kind of memory wipe she could use.

Wait, that would be bad. Mira felt a shudder run down her arms as she remembered how Beck had almost become a stray. The last thing she wanted was for him to go through something like that again. Besides, truthfully she didn't want him to forget.

"What am I supposed to do or even say to him?" Mira followed Natasha to another room. Scientists were working at different parts of the lab. A few of them had looked up when Natasha entered the room, but their eyes were all on Mira. She rubbed her arm in embarrassment when they returned to their work.

"Take your time," Natasha finally replied after dropping off the papers. "If he truly loves you, he'll come running back."

"Is that what happened with you and Clint?" Natasha's eyes flashed at the mention of her partner. After watching their memories happen right before her eyes, she understood that it was a touchy subject. But she couldn't resist asking the question.

"That's not an easy question to answer," she finally replied once they were outside the room. "He took a different path before I joined SHIELD. And when I finally did join SHIELD... we had different views on the world."

Mira looked down at the floor to think about what she had said. One memory she had seen was the time when Clint was sent to kill Natasha. He had taken a different call. He let her live, despite Fury's orders to take her down. Their lives had changed from that moment on.

"So you really think that will happen?" She glanced up at Natasha, who was focusing on the agents wandering around the bridge or typing away at the computers.

"Yes." Mira tried not to flinch when Natasha patted her on the shoulder. "Just give him some time."

Her shoulders sagged in relief as Natasha was called over by Director Fury. She really hoped that Natasha was right. She missed Beck's company, and desperately wanted their friendship back.

. . .

Clouds whipped past the jet as they headed for Encom Tower. After the hellicarrier had finally reached Los Angeles, they immediately left for Encom Tower. Mira sat next to the window with her earbuds in, listening to the music as she tried to forget about the silent treatment she was getting from Beck (Director Fury had finally given her a regular iPod, already filled with the music she had been listening to. It was better not to ask how he had known what she liked).

"**Oh, no, I see, a spider web, it's tangled up with me, and I lost my head, the thought of all the stupid things I'd said, Oh, no, what's this? A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle, so I turned to run, the thought of all the stupid things I've done**..."

_Well this song isn't helping much_, she thought as she listened to the heart-wrenching lyrics. Coldplay really knew how to pull at one's feelings.

"**And I never meant to cause you trouble, and I never meant to do you wrong, and I, well, if I ever caused you trouble, oh no, I never meant to do you harm**..."

Mira tried to close her eyes and think of positive things. She was about to see Quorra again for the first time in who knew how long. Cyrus was finally being placed in prison. She had a family, well, maybe not a _family_ family. More like a super-hero family.

"We're here." Mira dropped her earbuds when Clint's voice rose above the blaring music.

"Sorry," she murmured after turning off the iPod. She glanced back at Beck, wishing that he would stop staring out the window.

It was strange to be back here where their journey had started in the User world. Mira suddenly wondered how Alan was doing after they had left him. Would he know that they were paying Sam and Quorra a visit? Probably not, unless SHIELD had warned him ahead of time.

Mira raised an eyebrow when she noticed that there was a landing pad on top of the tower. It dwarfed all of the buildings around it. She rolled down the sleeves of her gray sweater, thankful she had chosen to dress for colder weather. According to Tony it was cooler than usual. Beck was wearing a t-shirt, and she wondered how he could stand the cold wind.

Clint and Natasha led the way to the door. Someone was waiting for them, looking rather annoyed at the new arrivals. Mira frowned when she recognized his slim appearance. Short brown hair, wearing a pair of glasses and a nicely trimmed beard.

"Mr. Dillinger." His arms folded as Natasha explained why they were there.

"So you're the kid everyone's been talking about." Edward Dillinger Jr. Mira had seen pictures of him on SHIELD's data base. According to some rumors he was part of a big scheme to overthrow Flynn. But at that time he was about Sam's age.

"You can let them in, Eddie." Edward grimaced when someone called him by what Mira guessed was a bad nickname. "Unless you'd rather spend the night cleaning the toilets."

Edward finally stepped aside to let them in, glaring at the stranger that had spoken. The glare Natasha gave him almost made Mira laugh. She wished she had a camera with her. His face paled before he looked away, hiding the sudden fear that had taken over.

"Hi. Alan Bradley, right?" Natasha was really taking her job seriously. Alan didn't look nearly as terrified as Edward, but he seemed just as uneasy.

"I'm glad to see you two aren't dead," Alan replied after giving Natasha the faintest of nods. "Your names were plastered all over the news for the last few weeks," he explained when Beck looked at him in confusion. "When I told Quorra about you she nearly had a heart-attack."

_I'm surprised the press isn't hounding us_, Mira thought as she looked around warily. Reaching the building with a jet designed for SHIELD wasn't exactly easy to hide. But maybe Sam had taken precautions.

"Sam's waiting for you in the office," Alan explained as he began leading the way.

An awkward silence filled the air as they passed several rooms with the doors closed. The walls were bleached white. A few pictures of Los Angeles and people Mira didn't recognize were hung here and there. In all the building reminded her of a normal office building.

"There they are." Mira stopped dead when she saw the open door. Alan smirked when he noticed her expression.

"Are you okay?" Clint noticed Mira's worried expression as she stared at the doorway.

"Yeah... I'm fine," she replied a little too quickly.

She bit the bottom of her lip before they walked into the room.

What she saw next nearly took her breath away. Sam was standing at his desk, staring at a computer while Quorra stared outside the window. He paused from his searching and looked up to see Natasha and Clint standing in the room.

Sam was nothing like Mira had anticipated. He looked, to put it bluntly, almost like Beck. Only his hair was a lighter shade of blonde. And he seemed to notice the similarities when he spotted Beck standing beside Natasha.

"Hey, I'm glad you stopped by," he said after shaking Natasha's hand. "Natasha and Clint, right?"

"Yes, of course," Natasha replied. Mira smirked when Natasha kept her usual calm posture.

"I've actually got something I was hoping you would take a look at," Sam explained when he noticed Mira standing beside Clint. "Quorra and I have been working on this project for the last few days."

At the mention of her name, Quorra suddenly turned and stared at the four newcomers in surprise. Than her eyes fell upon Mira, who met her startled gaze.

"Why don't we discuss your plans outside," Natasha suggested when an awkward silence filled the room. Sam seemed more than happy to agree. He grabbed the laptop and followed Natasha and Clint outside, leaving Mira and Beck to face Quorra alone.

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**AN: So I kind of left everything on a cliffhanger. Next chapter is definitely going to be a shocker for everyone :P But anywho, I'm really excited about where this is going. I do have a sequel in mind once this is finished, but it will take time before that's posted. Big thanks to PrincessKai317, Sunofaia and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

**Lyrics come from the song Trouble by Coldplay.**

**End of Line**


	21. Reunited

_Take me above your light, Carry me through the night, Hold me secure in flight, Sing me to sleep tonight - Hello Seattle, Owl City_

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**Chapter Twenty One**

**Reunited**

"Mira, it's been such a long time!" Mira let out a gasp when Quorra rushed over to hug her. She smirked and returned the gesture, thankful to see another familiar face.

"It's good to see you too, Quorra," Mira replied. Quorra stepped back and grinned when she noticed Beck.

"And you must be the infamous Renegade I've heard so much about." Beck frowned at the term. "Don't worry, the Creator was watching over you. He said that you were more than just a program."

This time it was Mira's turn to frown. She remembered that dream she had, before she had woken up from that coma. The Creator, Kevin Flynn, had spoken to her. Did that mean... he was dead? She glanced at Quorra, whose expression was impossible to read.

"So what have you been up to since we parted ways?" Quorra asked when they all sat down.

For what felt like the umpteenth time, Mira explained what had happened since they parted. Quorra leaned forward and took it all in, eyes widening when Mira explained how Tron was still alive. By the time she was finished, Mira was out of breath.

"Wow... that's a lot to take in," Quorra finally murmured.

"It's been difficult. But... at least I'm not alone." Mira glanced at Beck, who looked more embarrassed than anything else.

"You have no idea." Quorra's eyes lit up when she glanced at Beck. "The project Sam and I have been working on has something to do with the Grid," she added. "Sam's really taken on to his father's idea. He wants to recreate the Grid."

Mira looked at Quorra in disbelief. Had the Grid been destroyed since they last saw it? Judging by the look Quorra gave her, she was right.

"Is that possible?" Beck asked.

"Sam has everything from the Grid saved on a data chip," Quorra explained. "That's why Director Fury wanted to keep an eye on him. He's trying to reassure your friends that this version of the Grid won't be as dangerous."

_Does she know the truth_? Mira looked down at the floor. Maybe Sam hadn't been around when that news was leaked. Or he had completely forgotten about it. Either way, she had a feeling Quorra wouldn't be too pleased if she knew what had really happened.

"So how exactly did you meet the Creator?" Mira asked when an awkward silence filled the room.

Quorra frowned before telling them her story. "After you left, I decided to go and see if there were any ISOs left after the Purge," she began. "I found Ada, and we started traveling the cities together. When we reached Bismuth, Ada vanished... it wasn't until I ran that I learned she was derezzed."

Shivers ran down Mira's arms. Clu had killed so many programs during the Purge. He didn't care whether or not they were on his side. All that mattered to him was perfection.

"Wait, did you by chance meet someone named Paige?" Mira looked at Beck in surprise when he mentioned the old commander's name. Quorra's eyes widened with recognition.

"Yes, we did meet her," she replied. "Before the hospital she worked at was destroyed."

Mira smiled as she remembered helping Paige from derezzing. The commander had finally turned to the right side, when she learned that Tesler had been lying to her this entire time. She wondered how Paige was doing before Sam moved all of the files.

"I'm glad you're alright," she murmured after looking back up at Quorra. The ISO somehow seemed taller in the User world than on the Grid. But maybe that was because it had been so long since she last saw Quorra.

"Me too." The door quickly swung open, Sam stepping inside with a frown, followed by Clint and Natasha.

"Time to go." Mira raised an eyebrow when she caught Quorra's surprised look. "We've got a bit of a problem at HQ," Clint added after noticing Mira's confused look.

_And by a bit_,_ you mean a big problem_, Mira thought with a roll of her eyes. Natasha looked back at Sam, who placed what Mira guessed was the data chip on his desk.

"Keep an eye on that chip," Natasha warned him. "Others might try using it for their own purpose." Quorra stiffened at the mention of 'purpose'. Sam gave her a reassuring look before nodding at the idea.

Mira quickly followed them out of the room, eager to get away now that she knew Quorra was safe and sound. Hopefully Sam would keep her safe, like the Creator had for so many cycles on the Grid. Mira had a feeling that Quorra was somehow tied in to the whole issues with Cyrus.

"Let me guess, Cyrus escaped?" Natasha stopped dead when Mira finally spoke up. She almost wished that were the case. But something told her that this was more serious than Cyrus escaping.

"Something like that," Clint replied after exchanging looks with Natasha.

She really hoped her original thoughts were the case. Otherwise they were getting themselves into something they had not trained for.

. . .

It was close to midnight by the time they reached the hellicarrier. Mira was getting sick of this floating headquarters. She never thought that she'd actually miss living in Stark Tower. But at this point, she knew better than to say that out loud.

The few agents that were awake scrambled to their posts as Director Fury called for a team debriefing. Whatever that meant. As far as Mira was concerned, this was just another excuse to discuss what was happening with Cyrus.

"Cyrus is still in his prison, in case you're wondering," Director Fury said before Mira or Beck could ask. "But we've got a bigger problem on our hands, one that involves the Grid."

Mira glanced at the screen he'd pulled up. Tony, Bruce and Steve had joined them shortly before the meeting began. Mira folded her arms and leaned against the back of her seat, sitting beside Natasha while Beck sat beside Clint.

"Do you recognize this face?" He zoomed in on an image he'd pulled out.

The suit wasn't there, but the face, short-cut hair was. Mira's teeth ground together as she glared at the program.

"Pavel." Beck looked like he was ready to slam a fist into the screen. That good-for-nothing program couldn't have found his way to the User world. There was no possible way he could have found a Portal.

"I had a feeling you would know him," Director Fury sighed. "He's been causing problems throughout the city. Not as dangerous as Cyrus, but close to him. He's already managed to kill a few people that were in his way."

Mira threw her hands in the air after realizing that Pavel really was as deranged as Cyrus. Maybe even worse. "Great, now we have this nutcase to worry about," she muttered crossly.

"What did he do on the Grid?" Natasha asked. Her voice was calm, but Mira didn't miss the worry in her eyes. First Cyrus and now Pavel. How many other programs had gotten through those Portals?

"Pavel was General Tesler's commander," Beck explained. "Enjoys fighting and killing." He narrowed his eyes at the term.

_He's definitely gotten the User vocab down_, Mira thought with the slightest of smirks. Beck had learned quickly since reaching the User world. So far he hadn't picked up on Tony's colorful language, but she had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he did.

"So basically he's a sadistic killer," Steve replied. "Why start attacking now? What are his motives?"

Silence followed his question. Mira frowned as she thought of what to say. Pavel had likely been given commands to kill anyone that looked familiar. If he was still loyal to Clu, than it was possible he was looking for the Renegade and the Rogue.

"When something like this happens, we need to make a stand and fight back," Director Fury told them. "If Pavel is from the Grid, than that means others have probably followed him." He glanced at Mira and Beck. "You two fought him before, I assume," he added to them.

"Yeah... but that was before he had the weapon upgrade," Beck replied.

Mira wished she could punch him in the shoulders for saying that. The weapon upgrade wasn't meant to be announced to the User world. If a User with the need for power got their hands on it, there was no telling what they could do.

"Weapon upgrade?" Clint raised an eyebrow. Mira shot Beck a glare when he realized what he'd just said.

"It's nothing... just a simple tool that programs use," she quickly explained, hoping they would buy it.

"It sounds like it's more than nothing," Tony said with a smirk. "Sounds like it could actually have a tie with the Super Soldier Project." He glanced at Steve, whose eyes widened as he thought of what that meant.

"Either way, Pavel is a problem the Avengers need to take care of," Director Fury sighed after pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We're going with you," Mira announced when an icy silence filled the room. "Pavel's here because we went through that Portal. If anyone can stop him, it's the Renegade and the Rogue," she added before Clint or Natasha could argue. Beck didn't even bother saying anything against that plan. Obviously he wanted to take down Pavel almost as much as she did.

"Fine, but you'll need to suit up," Steve replied just as Natasha was about to say something. She shot him an icy glare, that was returned with a shrug and a sheepish grin.

Tony suddenly stood up, ignoring the sudden tension that filled the room. "Speaking of suits, there's something I'd like you two to take a look at," he said after brushing off his gray t-shirt.

Relief washed over Mira's shoulders as she followed him to the lab. Director Fury had given Tony and Bruce permission to work on whatever project they had been working on at the tower. From what it sounded like, they were finished.

The lab inside wasn't nearly as large as Tony's lab. But it did have an impressive amount of equipment inside. Mira grinned when she spotted Fitz and Simmons arguing over a new device they were developing. They didn't seem like the typical, secretive SHIELD agents she had seen wandering through these halls. They were strangely friendly and welcoming at first glance.

"Thanks to that little tool of yours, we were able to finish that project Brucie and I were working on," Tony explained as he reached a table with objects scattered across it. "I thought you two might appreciate these." He grabbed the first object he noticed and tossed it over.

Mira caught it and stared at the device in surprise. It was a helmet, like the ones programs used on the Grid. Only it was sleeker and lighter.

"Go ahead and try it on." Mira bit the bottom of her lip as she tried it on for the first time. Perfect fit. She wondered when Tony or Bruce had guessed her size. "There should be a button on the right, by your ear," Tony added after a few seconds had passed.

She jumped after pressing the button. The helmet concealed her face, but she could see clearly through the screen. What looked like a program's suit wrapped around her body, covering her arms and legs. She smirked when she noticed the 'R' symbol from her previous suit.

"How did you know?" Even the circuit designs were accurate. True he had seen their appearance on the Grid, but that had all happened so quickly she would have thought he would forget.

"Beck was the one that had the design ideas," Tony replied with a wide grin.

She finally turned to see that Beck's suit was almost exactly like his old one. Only the 'T' symbol on his chest was still there. She had to admit that the suit looked good on him. But of course, she wasn't willing to say that out loud.

"Thank you. You didn't have to make these," Mira sighed after her helmet receded. Just like the Grid's suits. She wondered how Tony managed to get every detail right.

"Oh, that's not even the best part," Tony added. "We've got these. Thought you might make use out of them." Mira's eyes widened when he grabbed what looked like identity disks. They weren't exact copies, but they were close enough to the real thing.

_Amazingly detailed_, she thought when they even whirred to life.

"Those disks are programmed to return to their owner's helmets," Bruce explained after stepping inside. "You shouldn't have any trouble using them."

"Has anyone ever said that you guys are amazing?" These tools really were just like being on the Grid. Now she and Beck might actually stand a chance against Pavel. If he didn't have the weapon upgrade, that was.

Tony's expression was almost priceless. Bruce just shrugged and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Out of the corner of her eye, Mira noticed that Fitz and Simmons were watching them with fascination. She wondered how often they got to watch a couple of genius's working like this.

"Now we're ready to take on Pavel," Beck said after his helmet receded.

Mira couldn't help but nod in agreement. Pavel was going to be in for a nasty surprise.

* * *

**AN: Yep, I totally went there. And don't worry, it's not the last time we'll be seeing Quorra. Hopefully this chapter was okay; I feel like I really rushed through it. If worse comes to worse, I'll rewrite everything later on. Thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D**

**End of Line**


	22. Final Battle

_There's a war we're fighting, on the front line for our King, it's a battle for our souls, against a heartless enemy, let us rise soldiers, united by the call, we give nothing less than all, we might stumble, we might fall - Fight Forever, Anthem Lights_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**Final Battle**

The city was swarming with people. Not a good thing as far as Mira was concerned. But thankfully they were already making a break for it once the Avengers arrived. The small plane landed near the surrounding buildings of Los Angeles.

Mira took a deep breath as she thought of what awaited them. According to the files more than twenty soldiers had followed Pavel through the Portal. She wondered how they had kept quiet for the amount of time they were in the User world.

"'Kay guys, we're gonna need to make this quick and as painless as possible," Tony said after meeting them in his Iron Man suit. "We've got hostiles all over the place. Same energy readings as Cyrus."

"Tony, you keep an eye on the sky. Make sure these hostiles don't have any means of escape," Steve, suited up as Captain America, said over the earpiece. "Mira, Beck, you stay down here with me."

She tried not to roll her eyes in annoyance. Natasha and Clint looked more than ready for the fight of their lives. Mira only hoped that it didn't come to that. If her assumptions were right, than Clu would have created more weapon upgrades. And that meant the soldiers that had followed Pavel were more dangerous than ever.

"My, my, isn't this is an unpleasant surprise." Mira rolled her eyes when Pavel finally stepped out of the shadows. She was surprised he wasn't wearing the usual program suit that Cyrus had. "I was hoping to find you two again. Which of you would like to die first?"

Captain America threw his shield towards Pavel, who moved at an impossible speed. The shield was caught by a soldier standing behind Pavel. Pavel's eyes were narrowed in disgust as the soldier leaped backward and threw the shield back at full force.

"Why are you doing this?" Beck was fighting three soldiers at once as they tried pinning him down. Natasha and Clint fought alongside each other as the soldiers rushed forward. Captain America reached Pavel, who seemed more intent on watching the fight than joining.

"I was given direct orders under Clu to bring these two to justice," Pavel sneered. "They committed crimes throughout the Grid, and they need to be punished."

Mira kicked aside a soldier that had aimed his fist dangerously close to her cheek. They didn't have disks, but the weapons they did carry were dangerous enough. Pavel had armed them with knives and guns, leaving Mira to wonder how he knew exactly what to look for.

"Pavel, haven't you heard that Clu is dead?" Mira threw back another soldier that managed to swing his knife across her cheek. She ignored the stinging pain and glared at Pavel, whose grin quickly faded.

"Lies!" Pavel threw out his legs and knocked Captain America aside. Mira flinched when he landed on the ground with a sickening thud.

Pain seared down her back when a soldier managed to aim a knife at her, only to be shot at by a well-aimed arrow. The soldier was only down for an instant before lashing out again. Mira dodged from side to side, avoiding the dagger just as Beck threw his disk.

"Thanks," she gasped when the soldier blacked out.

"Are you alright?" Beck demanded after reaching her.

She punched the soldier approaching her from behind and grinned. "I think I'll live," she replied.

Beck grabbed a soldier that was getting a little too close for comfort. He wrapped his arms around the soldier's neck and flipped him. Mira ducked to avoid a throwing dagger. Almost at once the soldier was shot down by an arrow.

"Why do I get the feeling that these guys are just a distraction?" Clint asked after knocking down what felt like the hundredth soldier.

"Hang on guys, I'm picking up something on my sensor," Tony announced through the earpiece. "Yep, thought I recognized that reading." Mira felt her blood run cold when he landed nearby, scaring the few bystanders away. "We've got a major problem on our hands."

"No duh genius." Mira threw her disk at another soldier that was running at them at full speed.

"No, like, SHIELD dangerous," Tony scoffed. He aimed his thrusters towards a group of soldiers that were less than intimidated by his suit's appearance. The soldiers let out cries of pain before running off to who knew where. "The Portals that you closed somehow opened up, and their causing a rift throughout the city."

"English please," Clint muttered. He shot an explosive arrow towards the remaining soldiers scattered throughout the streets. In a matter of seconds they fell over, one by one.

"Pavel has the warship." Mira's eyes widened when she realized that Beck was right.

_How in the Users did he get that thing here_? Mira wondered as she gazed up at the massive ship. It dwarfed the hellicarrier. Glass shattered as it flew through the narrow streets towards the team. Shudders ran down Mira's arms as she remembered how often she and Beck had almost gotten trapped inside.

"Now than, you can either give yourselves up, or I'll destroy this entire city!" Pavel's voice boomed over the intercom.

Mira frowned as she thought of what to do next. Pavel was serious. He enjoyed killing programs as much as Cyrus had. But there was one thing he didn't count on. This was exactly what this team was trained for.

"Hawkeye, think you can aim your arrows at those thrusters?" Tony was flying around the ship, trying to find any weak points it might have.

"Easily," Clint replied with the slightest of grins.

He grabbed an arrow and aimed it towards one of the two thrusters. Mira reached for her disk and activated it. The arrow flew towards one of the thrusters. Mira threw her disk after it landed. The explosion that followed shook the city.

"That should do it." Mira flinched as the smoke cleared. She had a feeling that Natasha was far from right.

Her assumptions were right. Pavel stood among the debris, grinning as he held up a pair of weapons Mira guessed were made on the Grid.

"I won't be taken down that easily," he sneered. He fired the weapons. Mira cringed when she realized that the weapon was a combination of upgrades programs had created. From Tesler's arms, to Dyson's disk that held on to the end of a strap. "Now I was told to bring you back to the Grid, and I'm going to die trying!"

Teeth grinding together, Mira jumped out of the way as an arm extension reached for the startled group. Captain America raised his shield to protect Clint and Natasha from the attack, while Beck staggered to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Pavel, this is crazy!" Beck sliced the arm off with his disk. It landed on the ground in a pile of pixels, but the disk extension flew right towards him. "Since when has Clu ever cared about anyone but himself?" Mira finally caught her breath, but Pavel was far from finished.

The former commander suddenly charged forward, throwing down the weapons and raising his own fists. He was after Beck. Mira bit the bottom of her lip and threw out her leg, hoping to trip Pavel before he could reach Beck. His eyes narrowed with rage as he leaped into the air.

"This is getting old, fast," Natasha muttered as she caught Pavel by the collar of his suit. She pulled his arms back just as he struggled to free himself from her firm grip. "Now Clint!"

Mira flinched when he aimed an arrow at Pavel. A chilling silence filled the air as the arrow landed. Pavel finally let out a scream of pain as it sent jolts of electricity through him. Moments later and he slumped to the ground.

"What was that?" Beck asked after realizing what just happened.

"He won't be fighting again." Mira felt her blood run cold when Clint said that. "Not if we have any say in it."

"Damage Control's gonna have their hands full," Tony said after joining them. "We need to gather these soldiers and make sure there aren't any hiding," he added.

_And make sure that Pavel wasn't hiding anymore weapons_, Mira added silently. She knew all too well that Pavel wouldn't let them forget this. But at least now that he was dead, he wouldn't be causing any pain on the Grid once it was Sam and Quorra's project was finished.

Their fight was over. And now Mira had to decide whether or not she should join SHIELD.

_I think I'd rather fight Pavel all over again_, she thought.

* * *

**AN: So... yeah. Like I said, this feels more rushed than ever. But it was an important chapter, and the climax of the story. There's only a few more chapters left before the end, so enjoy it while you can ;) Big thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

**End of Line**


	23. It's Your Choice

_I need someplace simple where we could live, and something only you can give, and that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive, and the one poor child who saved this world, and there's 10 million more who probably could, if we all just stopped and said a prayer for them - Better Days, Goo Goo Dolls_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Three**

**It's Your Choice**

Papers were spread out across the bed as Mira studied each one carefully. Rinzler was more than happy to see her after being watched by Pepper Pots, AKA Tony's girlfriend.

The team had returned to Stark Tower once Cyrus was put in one of SHIELD's most secure prisons. Now Mira was left with the decision of joining SHIELD. The papers that were spread out seemed more intimidating than ever. Rinzler gave the folder a curious sniff before swatting it aside.

"I can't blame you for that," she laughed as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. Rinzler jumped onto the bed beside her, stretching out his back and gazing at her with large orange eyes. "I don't know what to do," she sighed after pushing away the papers.

What would Tron had said if she were joining such an organization? Would he be proud or angry? She almost wished that he was there to help her.

Rinzler jumped off of the bed and began scratching at the closed door. Mira held back a grin before standing up to open the door. She tried not to giggle when moments later, a yelp of surprise followed. She followed the source of noise and spotted Rinzler standing on Beck's chest, eyes glowing with triumph.

"Seriously? Every time!" Beck grinned before gently pushing the kitten off. Rinzler purred and licked the back of his paw.

"You know he can't resist," Mira replied. She folded her arms and leaned against the doorway. "I see you have your files out," she added after noticing the papers spread out across the desk.

"Yeah... I don't know whether or not I should trust these people," Beck muttered.

Mira looked down at the floor. Maybe that was why she was so reluctant to fill out the paperwork. Clint and Natasha were freelance agents. They worked on their own times, but they were still loyal to SHIELD.

"I suppose we have time to think about it," she sighed. After everything they had been through together, she wasn't sure if it felt right.

In the meantime, there was still the matter of finding out whether or not Quorra and Sam's project was finished.

"I don't understand why they want me to join." Mira followed him out of the room before they were caught. Since they had returned they had been avoiding each other. Mira just couldn't find the right words to say anything without making things more awkward between them.

"Director Fury believes that you would make an excellent mechanic." Rinzler jumped onto Mira's shoulder as they reached the living space. Natasha was sitting beside Clint while Steve had on the TV. Tony had grabbed a drink from the bar and was taking a sip when they approached.

"Speaking of mechanics, Sam's finally finished with that project of his," Tony added. "He sent me the file last night."

"Really?" Mira stared at Tony in disbelief. Judging from the sheepish look he gave her, he was telling the truth.

"Banner's in the lab right now, working out the kinks. Should be up and running by tonight."

Mira exchanged a startled look with Beck. That meant they could finally go back. If what Sam and Quorra had said was true, than the Grid had finally been restored.

"Will we get to go back?" Mira wasn't surprised that Beck had asked the question. If they went back, would SHIELD try going after them?

"That's up to you," Natasha replied after seeming to read Mira's thoughts. "The Grid isn't necessarily part of SHIELD's database."

_And yet somehow they still had files on it_, Mira thought angrily. She wondered if Flynn had ever known that SHIELD was aware of his work. Maybe that was why Alan had been so reluctant to give them a call. She had a feeling that he would know more about their interference than anyone else.

. . .

"**I awake to find no peace of mind, I said, how do you live as a fugitive, down here where I cannot see so clear, I said, what do I know, show me the right way to go.**.."

Mira stared at the papers once more, still wishing there was an easier way around this. She had the volume on her iPod up to full blast, hoping it would help her concentrate more. Unfortunately, the song that played didn't help.

"**And the spies came out of the water, but you're feeling so bad cause you know, but the spies hide out in every corner, but you can't touch them no, cause they're all spies , they're all spies**..."

"Do you need help with those?" Mira dropped the pencil she was holding when Natasha stood at her doorway, arms folded.

"Actually, I do," Mira sighed after turning down the music. "I just don't know whether or not this is the right thing to do."

Was that an actual smirk that Mira noticed? She blinked to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. Natasha stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Joining SHIELD was a difficult decision for me," she explained. "But there are ways around it. Fury didn't bother explaining that there are different levels of agencies that run through SHIELD."

She looked at Natasha in surprise. She remembered hearing that agents Fitz and Simmons had trained in SHIELD Academy. But the training they received was for a different field.

"**I awake to see that no one is free, we're all fugitives, Look at the way we live, down here I cannot sleep without fear, I said which way do I turn, I forget everything I learned**..."

"So, in other words, I can join the same field as you?" Mira asked after focusing on the song.

"Not quite," Natasha murmured. "Due to your past experience, you're on the same level as Clint."

Mira raised an eyebrow and wondered what she meant by that. She looked back at the papers once more before taking the files that needed to be signed.

"Where do I start?"

* * *

**AN: Rather short chapter, but I wanted to put in this one for reasons you'll find out later. Big thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D**

**Lyrics come from the song Spies by Coldplay**

**End of Line**


	24. Return To The Grid

_No more chains, I've been set free, no more fighting battles You've won for me, now in Christ, I stand complete - All You Ever Wanted, Casting Crowns_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**Return To The Grid**

"Now, this is just going to be a test run," Bruce explained as they set the device up. It was similar to the one in Flynn's arcade. Only it had a sleeker design to it. Mira wondered if Tony and Bruce had tinkered with it when the device was delivered. "You'll be in there for about an hour before we pull you out."

"So that's about a petrocycle in our time," Mira replied before glancing at Beck.

"I'd love to know how time works so differently on the Grid," Tony muttered. "Seems to work on a different schedule compared to the User world."

Bruce typed in a code before stepping away from the 'Digitizer'. That was what Sam had called it, and the name sort of stuck. Mira had to admit that it was a fitting name.

"I've set the coordinates to Argon City," Bruce explained. "At least I hope that's where I've set it."

Mira didn't miss the look of worry in Beck's eyes. The last time they had left was when Clu had revealed his identity to everyone. Mara might be willing to forgive Beck for lying to her, but the other mechanics... Mira wasn't too sure.

"We'll be right beside you." At this point Mira didn't bother arguing with Clint or Natasha. They had already discussed how this would go with Tony and Bruce. With Steve watching them closely, things shouldn't go wrong.

Besides, it would be nice to have some backup. Even if they were completely unprepared for the Grid.

"All right, step in front of the Digitizer and say cheese." Mira rolled her eyes when Tony laughed at his own joke. "Starting in 3... 2... 1-"

Everything happened so fast, they didn't have time to react. This was about to get interesting.

. . .

It felt like hours had passed before they finally reached the Grid. Mira's eyes had closed at the last second, and when she finally opened them, she was thankful she had. The Outlands stretched before them, not Argon City. But Mira could see the faint, familiar lights of Argon glowing in the distance.

"That... was weird," Clint muttered after nearly stumbling forward.

To the left lay more desert, and to the right was the mountain that held Tron's safehouse. Mira glanced at Beck and noticed that his suit and disk was back. She was more than thankful to notice that their light cycle batons were back as well.

"We're home," Beck whispered.

"It feels good to be back." Truthfully Mira had missed the Grid more than anything else. It really did feel good to be back. She glanced back at Clint and Natasha and smirked. It looked like they were trying to take in everything at once. "I think we should check out the safehouse first," she added after glancing back at the mountain.

What had happened to Tron after they left? According to Quorra he had crashed into the Sea of Simulation. But at that time he had been repurposed. Mira felt a shiver run down her arms as she wondered whether or not he managed to shake off Clu's influence.

"Where's that?" Natasha asked.

"Inside the mountain," Beck replied before grabbing his baton. "It's a good place to start." Moments later and the light cycle appeared, startling both agents. Mira tried not to laugh when she noticed their expressions.

"Alright, I'll admit those are cool looking." Clint eyed the light cycle curiously as Beck got on.

"We'll have to ride in pairs," Mira explained after rezzing her own light cycle. The look Beck shot her was priceless. She knew that he was trying to avoid both Clint and Natasha after everything that had happened. But she doubted that even with their training, they could keep up with light cycles.

Natasha sat behind Mira as she sped forward, ignoring the glare Beck shot her as Clint sat beside him. Beck easily caught up with her as they made their way to the safehouse. The sky still had it's dark and ominous look to it, but it didn't seem nearly as threatening now. In fact, Mira thought she saw what looked like stars glowing above.

_Maybe Sam managed to give the Grid a little more light_, she thought.

As they got closer to the safehouse, she noticed that there were lights shining through the windows. Hope flared within her chest until they reached the garage. Mira wasted no time in following Beck after getting off of their light cycles.

"What is this place?" Clint demanded after reaching them.

"This is where Tron lived," Beck explained. He typed in the code as the alarm appeared in front of them. Mira braced herself as the door slid open.

Mira raised an eyebrow when they stepped into the garage. The batons and weapons Tron had kept were still in place. Clearly Clu had never bothered scoping out the safehouse after all. But the room itself seemed strangely empty.

She closed her eyes and took in the sounds around her. There was an unsteady breathing sound, and something else that sent shivers down her back. The sound of pixels falling onto the cold floor. Someone was definitely living here. But it sounded as if they were in severe pain.

"They're upstairs, whoever they are," she murmured.

Carefully, she led the way towards the stairs. The safehouse had three floors from what she remembered. But it sounded like whoever was up there couldn't even move.

What they saw next made Mira's stomach churn. An all-too familiar program was laying on the floor, clenching his chest as if he was struggling to breathe. She was almost thankful that the helmet concealed his face.

The program was struggling to stand after realizing that he wasn't alone. Mira bit the bottom of her lip when she noticed the pixels covering the floor. If they didn't work fast, he was going to derezz. She glanced at Beck, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"Take it easy," he finally muttered after leaning down to help the program. Mira glanced over her shoulder, hoping Natasha and Clint didn't make any sudden movements. The program was already in enough pain, he didn't need to react to their sudden appearance. "Think you can heal him?" Beck looked up at her, eyes dark with anxiety.

"I've never seen injuries like this one," she admitted warily. "But let me have a look." She approached the program cautiously. Instinctively he swatted her hand away as she reached for his disk. "It's okay, I need to see your disk," she added in a whisper.

The program let out a low growl. Mira held her breath in disbelief. He sounded almost exactly like Rinzler. After staring at her for a few nanocycles, he finally gave in. She gently grasped his disk and pulled out the codes that could heal his injuries.

"How did you do that?" Natasha asked. It was difficult sifting through all of the security patterns on the disk. Clu must have known that something like this would happen.

"All programs and Users are capable of finding the codes that heal one's injuries," she explained after examining the complex codes.

"I've never seen codes like that before," Beck murmured.

Mira finally found the code that was causing the injuries. A fail-safe. Similar to the one Dyson had used on Tron when Clu took over. She pulled out the code and replaced it with a new one, hoping that his system would accept it.

"Tell me again how that's possible." Mira smirked when she noticed Clint's impressed expression. After what felt like cycles, his coding was finally repaired. His system accepted the change without question. Now it was only a matter of time before he returned to his normal self.

"So who exactly is he?" Natasha's question caught both Mira and Beck by surprise. They had gotten so used to the few circuits on his suit, that they didn't even need to ask.

"Tron," Mira replied.

Before they had time to react, their time on the Grid came to an end. Mira flinched when they were brought back to the User world. Now they really did have a lot to explain.

* * *

**AN: So yep, that all just happened. More shall be explained as to how he even made his way to the safehouse in the next installment (later on of course), and... yeah. Thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for your reviews! You guys are awesome! :D**

**End of Line**


	25. Confessions

_We will run and scream, you will dance with me, they'll fulfill our dreams and we'll be free - Not With Haste, Mumford and Sons_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**Confessions**

Quick as a flash and they were back in the lab. Tony, Bruce and Steve had been watching the screen the entire time. Their expressions were priceless.

"That was Tron?" Mira held back a sigh of frustration. They didn't know what he had gone through. They couldn't possibly know. She couldn't blame them for their curiosity.

"We should be back there," Beck said under his breath. "He'll want to know what happened."

Tony finally stopped gaping at them and grabbed the tablet he was holding. "Well, the test was successful," he replied. "You should be able to go back once this thing recharges."

Relief washed over Mira's shoulders, until she remembered what would happen next. She wasn't going back to the Grid. At least, not once Tron had fully recovered. Thanks to Natasha's help, all of the files were signed and ready.

"How long will that take?" Beck's question broke her from her thoughts.

"A few hours, give or take," Bruce replied with a shrug.

Unease began to creep down Mira's arms as she thought of going back. She wondered what Tron would say when he finally recovered, or if he had anything to say at all.

"By than Tron should be fully recovered," she murmured.

She glanced at Beck and noticed for the first time that he was looking at her. For the first time in days. Time to start packing while she had a chance. After this was over, she needed to find her own apartment. Tony had offered a place for her to stay, but she turned it down.

_Don't think I could put up with him for the rest of my life_, she thought with the slightest of smirks.

Thankfully the place she looked for wasn't too far from here. And it was close to the Hub, SHIELD's largest facility aside from the hellicarrier. From what she had learned, the Hub was where Natasha and Clint did most of their work when they weren't on missions.

Once she reached her room, she started grabbing clothes and putting them in piles. Music blared from her iPod once more, and once again she was thankful for the distraction.

"**Hard to find a way to get through, it's a tragedy, pulling at me like the stars do, you're like gravity, even if the wind blows, it makes it hard to believe, how you gonna love, how you gonna feel, how you gonna live your life like the dream you have is real, and if you lost your way, I will keep you safe, we'll open up all the world inside, I see it come alive tonight, I will keep you safe**..."

Mira closed her eyes and thought of everything she and Beck had been through. From meeting him for the first time, to leaving him after Cyrus had tried killing them for a second time. To finally reaching the User world. Beck had always been there for her, even when she tried pushing him away.

"**Doesn't even matter to you, to see what I can see, I'm crawling on the floor to reach you, I'm a wreck you see, when you're far from home now, makes it hard to believe, so how you gonna love, How you gonna feel, how you gonna live your life like the dream you have is real, if you've lost your way, I will keep you safe, we'll open up all your world inside, till you come alive tonight, I will keep you safe**..."

"Do you need a hand?" Mira flinched she noticed that Beck was watching her. Rinzler had been sitting on the bed, playing with a string while she grabbed the bags Natasha had found for her.

"Yeah, I could use a hand," she replied after a moment of awkward silence followed.

Beck frowned before reaching out for a bag. "You're really going through with this?"

"Beck, you know someone has to keep an eye on Cyrus," she sighed after closing one of the bags.

"**We all fall down, we all feel down, cause rainy days and summer highs, the more we pray the more we feel alive**..."

"There's more to it, isn't there?" Mira looked down at the floor, studying the little details of the white tiles.

"Look, I spent my whole life not remembering who my real family was," she explained. "Now that I know they're alive... I don't know if I could leave them again." Besides, if Cyrus did get out of his 'inescapable' prison, someone needed to keep an eye on him.

"So you're not going back to the Grid?" Mira finally locked gazes with him.

For the first time in days, she realized how wary he looked. She couldn't even remember the last time they had been alone together.

"When I have enough free time," she replied. "There's so much I missed when I was younger."

She didn't want to admit that SHIELD offered vigorous training for new recruits. It might take more than a few months to get through the classes Director Fury had offered. Once those classes were finished, she wasn't sure what would happen next.

Her eyes widened when Beck wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry... for avoiding you these last few days," he murmured when he noticed her look of surprise. "You were right, about me saying something when you weren't awake."

"**How you gonna love, How you gonna feel, how you gonna live your life like the dream you have is real, how you gonna love, how you gonna feel, how you gonna live your life like the dream you have is real, if you've lost your way, I will keep you safe, we'll open up all your world inside, so you come alive tonight, I will keep you safe**..."

"Beck, it's okay." She hated seeing him this way. Worrying over something so pointless. "I love you too."

Without warning, Beck pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened before she realized what was happening. She didn't even notice the red covering her cheeks as she accepted his warm embrace. In that split-second, it felt like time had slowed down.

But as quickly as it had started, Beck pulled back and stared at Mira in alarm. "Did we just..." Beck stopped himself before he could say the word.

"I think we did." Mira couldn't help but laugh when she realized what they just did.

"Look, I don't know what-" Mira stopped him before he could apologize.

"Believe me Beck, I would have stopped you if I wanted to," she murmured.

"I really do love you, you know," he added after squeezing her hand gently. Mira held back a sigh of relief before leaning on his shoulder.

"I love you too, bitbrain," she whispered.

"**Well I will keep you safe, I will keep you safe**..."

The words kept playing in her mind. Sitting here, next to Beck, she felt safer than ever.

* * *

**AN: Yep, I totally went there :P As you can see, not very good with romantic stuff. Never really had a boyfriend, so can't say I've never experienced that world. But I did my best /= Big thanks to PrincessKai317 and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

**Lyrics are from the song Safe by Westlife. Still occasionally makes me cry when I hear it ^^"**

**End of Line**


	26. Tron Lives

_Give me strength, reserve control, Give me heart and give me soul, Wounds that heal and cracks that fix, Tell me your own politik, Open up your eyes, And give me love over, love over this - Politik, Coldplay_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Six**

**Tron Lives**

Did that really just happen? Mira finally opened her eyes, too nervous to even think of the possibilities of what had just happened. But the more she did think about it, the happier she was.

_We_ kissed. Almost at once she felt the heat return to her cheeks. The world felt right for once.

She tried pushing the mind-numbing thoughts aside and grabbed her bags. After everything was packed and ready to go, she made her way to the living space. Steve was sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper while Tony had the television on. Mira tried not to laugh when she noticed that he was watching the Big Bang Theory. Even Clint was staring at the screen while the show ran on.

"So the Digitizer is now fully functional," Tony said once he noticed that she was standing there. "And with any luck, you and Beck get to go back tonight."

Mira bit the bottom of her lip at the thought. By tonight she would be ready to leave. But by that time she would also need to say goodbye. It was hard to imagine living her life outside the Grid. With everything that had happened, she never really gave it much thought until now.

"Is everything all packed?" Mira jumped when she realized that Natasha was behind her.

"Uh, yes," she replied hastily.

_That's when my life will change_, she added before looking down at the floor. Rinzler nearly gave her the shock of her life when he jumped onto her shoulder. She had been focused on the floor so much that she didn't even notice him approaching.

"I still find it amazing that you were able to make something like that," Tony said after noticing the kitten perched on her shoulder.

"I suppose on the Grid, anything is possible," she replied with a shrug.

Explaining how the whole coding thing worked was a bit too complicated for her liking. Besides, it was fun to know things others didn't. Mira had a feeling Tony was going to be busy for the next few weeks trying to figure out how it all happened.

She placed her bags beside the door and sat down beside Steve, unsure of what to do next. Tomorrow was going to be her first official day as a SHIELD agent. And she still wasn't sure how to react to that idea.

. . .

"Everyone ready?" Mira stood beside Beck while Tony typed in the last few bits of code. Natasha and Clint were standing nearby, focused on the screen that overlooked the Grid.

"Yep," Beck replied before Mira could answer. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was going to be her last time on the Grid, at least until she got her life sorted out. Even than she wasn't sure how often she would get to see Beck or the Grid.

"We have the coordinates down for the safehouse's location," Tony explained. "So in theory, the Digitizer should send you directly there."

"Shouldn't Tron at least have a warning or something?" Mira folded her arms when Tony smirked. That was never a good sign.

"I wouldn't worry about him," he replied. "We've already sent him a warning through the video feed."

_Video feed_? Mira raised an eyebrow as she wondered what that meant. Judging by the looks Bruce kept giving Tony, they both knew where this was headed. Mira tried not to glare at them as she followed Beck towards the Digitizer. Again Natasha and Clint were going to be with them, but at a respectful distance. No need to scare Tron on their second visit.

"All right. Starting in three... two... one-" Mira braced herself for what followed.

Everything happened so quickly that she had to blink. The moment she opened her eyes, she found herself back at the safehouse. Or to be more precise, the entrance of the safehouse. She held back a sigh of frustration when she realized that the coordinates were still slightly off.

"So much for fixing the problem," Beck muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Maybe that's a good thing," Mira pointed out. Beck looked at her in surprise before she explained, "I'd rather not scare the crap out of Tron. Especially considering what he's been through."

His eyes widened when he realized that she was right. Tron had been through a lot since they last saw him. The last thing they needed was to trigger an unnecessary fight. She glanced back at Natasha and Clint. Natasha's face was difficult to read as always, but Mira didn't miss the worry in Clint's eyes.

"We'll be fine," she added. "I'd trust him with my life."

And that was true. Tron fought for the Users. He wasn't the monster that Clu had turned him into cycles ago. She bit the bottom of her lip, hoping that part was true as well.

With that being said, she followed Beck into the safehouse. The garage was dark, and the batons and weapons that had been placed around earlier were now gone. Mira raised an eyebrow and wondered where they were. She didn't have to wonder for long.

Tron was already waiting for them near the stairs, arms folded and mask hiding his face. Mira narrowed her eyes as he looked up at them thoughtfully.

"You came back," he murmured. Shivers ran down Mira's arms when she realized that he was still disguising his voice.

"Of course we did," Beck retorted. He ran his hand along the back of his hair as Tron looked at him directly. "I mean... we-" Tron cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"I know what you mean," he replied.

"Tron, I'm sorry for what happened," Mira suddenly spoke up for the first time. She felt a lump form in her throat when he looked at her. "None of this would have happened if I had stayed... Maybe I could've stopped it-" Before she could continue he cut her off, mask finally receding.

"Don't you ever blame yourself for what happened," he snapped.

Mira flinched when she noticed that the scar along his neck was gone. But the steely gaze was still there. She noticed for the first time how exhausted he looked as he finally approached them. Gently he placed a hand on her shoulder before sighing in frustration.

"None of that was your fault," he explained. "And it wasn't yours either Beck," he added before Beck could speak up. "If I had known sooner what Clu was up to, none of this would have happened. Flynn would still be alive, and you wouldn't have those." Again Mira flinched as he nodded to her scars.

She hadn't even noticed that they were glowing again. Was that why Clint and Natasha had looked so worried? She found herself rubbing her arm in embarrassment as Tron finally locked gazes with her.

"You aren't alone, are you?" His question caught them both off guard. Mira exchanged a startled look with Beck before nodding.

"It's kind of their job to make sure nothing happens... that you're not a threat," she explained warily.

Tron raised an eyebrow as the door to the garage opened again. Bright lights illuminated the room, flooding out of the entrance. Mira tried not to laugh when she realized that Clint and Natasha had been standing there the whole time, eyes wide with surprise.

"Users," Tron muttered crossly. Before any of them had time to react, Tron reached for his disk and activated it.

"Easy, we're not a threat... right?" Clint glanced at Natasha, who was studying Tron's face for what felt like cycles.

"Depends on what you consider a threat," she replied with a shrug.

"Don't worry," Mira said under her breath. "They couldn't hurt you even if they tried." She added the last part with a smirk. Maybe Natasha could put Tron in his place, but she knew Clint wouldn't last five minutes in a fight.

"Who are you?" Tron demanded as they approached the room.

"Natasha Romanoff," Natasha replied.

Her expression remained passive as she looked Tron in the eyes. For a split second, Mira thought she noticed recognition lighting up in Tron's eyes. But it happened so quickly that she wasn't too sure.

"Clint Barton." Clint folded his arms as Tron remained icily silent.

In that moment, Mira almost wished that a hole would open up and swallow her. Tron kept looking between her and the two SHIELD agents, eyes widening when he began to notice similarities between them. Mira didn't even notice that her arms were folded just like Clint's.

"You have a lot to explain," he finally said.

* * *

**AN: So there you have it. Only a few more chapters left before this is over. Hard to believe I haven't even been working on it for a month XD But anywho, thanks to 2theSky, PrincessKai317 and Sunofaia for reviewing! You guys are amazing ;)**

**End of Line**


	27. Freedom

_But I will hold on hope, And I won't let you choke, On the noose around your neck, And I'll find strength in pain, And I will change my ways, I'll know my name as it's called again... - The Cave, Mumford and Sons_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

**Freedom**

In a matter of millicycles Mira and Beck had explained what happened. From their first day in the User world to the fights against Cyrus. Then to the final battle against Pavel, who was finally gone for good. In a way Mira was relieved by this, but she still felt uneasy thinking about it.

_Pavel might have actually been a good program at one point_, she thought guiltily.

Tron leaned forward as they sat upstairs in seats he'd pulled out. Mira wondered if he managed to recover the ability to manipulate codes around him since he'd fought Clu's repurposing. Either way, it was good to see him again the more she thought about it.

"So Pavel managed to reach the User world," Tron muttered thoughtfully. Clint sat beside Natasha; Mira had a feeling they were still trying to grasp the fact that Tron was real. "I was aware of Clu's plan, but I couldn't do anything to stop it at the time," he explained after locking gazes with Mira. "It's good to know there are Users who can fight back."

"He won't be causing any more problems," Clint retorted.

Mira held back a sigh of relief when Tron didn't bother asking why. She knew he had derezzed programs before. Being a security program meant he had to take those risks. But since he had trained Beck, he didn't derezz. Not until Clu repurposed him.

"What about Cyrus?" Tron glanced at Natasha and Clint. Both shrugged in response before Natasha straightened up a little.

"Cyrus is being held in one of SHIELD's most secure prisons," she explained. "He won't be getting out any time soon."

Tron gave them a doubtful look and shook his head. "Cyrus isn't one to give up so easily," he said under his breath. "You will need to keep an eye on him."

"We should uh, probably go." Mira blinked in surprise when Clint suddenly stood up, followed shortly by Natasha. "We'll give you two some alone time." Mira rolled her eyes when she noticed that he was looking back at Tron, almost in annoyance. Tron only folded his arms and looked back as though he didn't notice.

Once they were gone, the lights in the room flickered on. Tron stood up and glanced down at Mira and Beck, who were both still sitting as they tried to figure out what was going on.

"Now why don't you tell me what _really_ happened," Tron suggested after pulling up the computer that overlooked the Outlands.

Mira tried not to let her face falter when she realized that Tron was fully aware of what Natasha and Clint had been up to. She finally stood up as well to join him, arms on her hips as she studied the screen carefully.

"What do you mean?" she asked as innocently as she could.

"Those two aren't normal Users, are they?" Tron countered her question with a question.

She looked at Beck sheepishly as he joined them shortly after. He was grinning like an idiot as he waited for her answer.

"They're kind of... my parents," she sighed after looking out the window once more. It still felt strange knowing that the two master assassins were her parents. It just didn't seem right.

Tron's eyes lit up with understanding when he realized what that meant. "You found your family," he muttered.

"Sort of." Mira didn't miss the look of sympathy Beck gave her. Explaining it to Quorra had been difficult enough. Sharing the news with Tron was another story. He probably didn't even know that SHIELD had files on him and Clu. "They're also SHIELD agents," she added as an awkward silence filled the room.

If Tron hadn't been standing, Mira was pretty sure he would've fallen over on the chair. His eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized the name. It took her a few nanocycles to remember that Sam and Quorra had stopped by earlier to check on things. Maybe they had warned the programs of what SHIELD was up to.

"They're spies," Tron grumbled after turning off the screen.

She winced at the term and looked away. How would he feel if he knew she was joining them?

"Not exactly," she whispered. "So what happens next?" she asked.

"We have to restore the cities to their former glory," Tron explained. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Beck, who had his arms folded as he listened. "Beck, I will still need your help... and possibly a new team to work throughout the Grid."

"I'm in," Beck replied with a shrug.

By now Mira almost wished a hole would open up and swallow her. Tron was looking at her now. And she would have to explain that she wasn't joining him. One way or another he would find out the truth. It was probably better to tell him now than let Beck explain what was happening.

"I won't be much help once this is over," she sighed. Tron raised an eyebrow as she quickly explained what would happen next in her life, "I decided to join SHIELD, to keep an eye on Cyrus from the User world."

"I can understand why you would want to stay," Tron said after patting her on the shoulder. Mira looked at him in disbelief. She noticed there was the slightest of grins on his face as he walked away. "You spent most of your life on the Grid... it's time you returned to your family."

Mira felt her shoulders sag as she thought of everything that had happened. It's not like she wanted to spend quality time with them. They had their own problems to deal with after all. But part of her wanted to know what it was like, to understand why they were the way they were.

"Thank you for understanding." Tron staggered back in surprise as she hugged him. "And for taking me in when no one else would."

She wasn't sure where she would be if it wasn't for Tron. He had saved her in more ways than one. After pulling back, she finally turned to face Beck. His expression was almost impossible to read. And for once, Mira was thankful for that. Normally Beck's emotions were easy to read during situations like this.

Without warning he pulled her towards him in a warm embrace. The room around them suddenly felt smaller as he kissed her again. Mira felt heat rising to her cheeks again as she welcomed the kiss. She didn't even think about the fact that Tron was watching them.

"Was that your attempt as saying goodbye?" Mira had to laugh when it ended all too soon.

"You could say that," Beck replied sheepishly. "Look, I'll miss you," he added after rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "More than anything else."

"I'll miss you too, bitbrain," she murmured. She barely noticed the tears that formed as she looked at him one last time. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid while I'm gone?" She didn't miss the laughter in Beck's eyes when he understood what she meant by that.

"I promise," he replied.

Mira couldn't help but grin as she wiped away the tears. "Good," she whispered.

"I'll see you soon," he added after kissing her on the forehead.

"Take care of him Tron," she said before reaching the door. Tron looked like he was ready to burst with laughter after watching the whole scene. Mira didn't even think it was possible for him to laugh. But seeing him now, she was thankful she was around to watch him.

"Don't worry about us." Tron finally caught his breath after struggling to not laugh.

_I don't think I have to now_, Mira thought as she reached the open door. She was going to miss the Grid. But most of all, she was going to miss Beck and Tron. They were more like family than anything else. And she would do anything in her power to keep them safe.

. . .

"Got everything ready?" Mira held the bags she was taking and nodded. Steve and Bruce were already packed up for where ever they were going.

The apartment she had chosen wasn't far from Steve's. It was close to the gym and close to the Hub. Once she was finished unpacking she would need to fill out yet more paperwork, something she wasn't looking forward to.

"Clint's already waiting down below," Natasha explained after everything was said and done. Rinzler was perched on Mira's shoulder as Natasha helped her by taking a bag. Mira had to laugh as Rinzler tried sniffing Natasha's arm.

"You really are more trouble than you're worth," she whispered as she followed Natasha to the elevator.

"I wouldn't say that too loud," Natasha warned her with the slightest of smirks. "Tony's already offered to take him off your hands as an experiment."

Mira rolled her eyes as she imagined what Tony had in mind for poor Rinzler. She had a feeling that he wanted to find out exactly how Rinzler came to be in the first place. In a way Rinzler was almost like an ISO. But she had created him from the codes she found on her disk.

_Maybe being a User has something to do with it_, she thought as they reached the car.

Like Natasha had said, Clint was already waiting for them in the car. Mira held back a sigh as she threw her bags onto the seat.

She was thankful she had grabbed her iPod while they headed for the building that was to become her future home. Listening to music was one way to take her mind off of what was about to happen. And she didn't want to think about it at the moment.

"**Now I'll be bold, As well as strong, And use my head alongside my heart, So tame my flesh, And fix my eyes, A tethered mind freed from the lies**..."

The Grid was free from Clu's reign. The world was free from Cyrus's terror for the time being. And for once, she was free from any curfew that hung over her head.

"**And I'll kneel down, Wait for now, I'll kneel down, Know my ground, Raise my hands, Paint my spirit gold, And bow my head, Keep my heart slow, 'Cause I will wait, I will wait for you**..."

Mira closed her eyes and realized for the first time that she and Beck had found their way to freedom. And nothing could ever break them apart, even if they were from different worlds. Because the Grid was what had brought them together in the first place.

* * *

**AN: So this story was finished in less than a month. That just goes to show how much more into the story I was XD But, on a side note, I have started the first chapter for Promise, which is the ten-part sequel I may not have mentioned earlier. It will actually have a tie in with Agents of SHIELD (TV show for those who don't know), and hopefully it will be just as good. Big thanks to 2theSky, PrincessKai317, Briannajs-22 and Sunofaia for reviewing! You guys are amazing, and have been great reviewers!**

**Lyrics came from the awesome song I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons. Haven't heard it? Then go and check it out! :P Highly recommended.**

**End of Line**


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